After Running Anti-Meat Campaign, Medellín’s Mayor Wants To Give Away Free Pigs

After deploying the resources of the city of Medellín to campaign against beef, raising the ire of Colombia’s Cattle Ranchers’ Federation, Medellín Mayor Daniel Quintero has announced his desire to “give a pig to every neighborhood of the city through their community action committee” on Twitter, and asked for donations.

Queremos que 200 mil niños y adultos tengan una linda navidad, sin hambre y en comunidad. Medellín dará un marrano a cada barrio de la ciudad a través de sus juntas de acción comunal.¿Quieres acompañarnos en esta iniciativa? Escribe a: [email protected]

— Daniel Quintero Calle (@QuinteroCalle) December 23, 2022

Less than two hours later, perhaps after visions of the mad cow chasing police through the streets of Bogotá earlier the same day, Mayor Quintero returned to Twitter clarifying that they would not accept actual pigs for donation, but only processed pork, properly refrigerated.

Importante aclaración para los donantes: No se aceptan animales en pie, sino debidamente procesados y con su respectiva cadena de frío.

— Daniel Quintero Calle (@QuinteroCalle) December 23, 2022

While politicians are often lambasted for trying to curry favor with voters, it’s puzzling to see a mayor both run a municipal anti-meat campaign and promise a political pork program (literally).

Let them eat beans

Even the mayor’s wife, a vocal vegetarian, tweeted her disapproval, saying that she would prefer bean soup to the festival of pork.

Preferiría la frijolada a la marranada.

— Diana Osorio (@diamaov) December 23, 2022

Mayor Quintero has been using city resources to run an anti-meat campaign.

It is unclear where the funds would come from to give out free neighborhood pigs. Nevertheless, the next day, city hall detailed that they would give out 361 pigs for Christmas. 361 pigs to feed 200,000 people means that each pig would have to provide food for 554 people.

It remains to be seen whether the free neighborhood pig initiative will be carried out; the target date is today, December 27. The mayor also has not explained the coherence between giving out free meat while conducting an anti-meat campaign.