BUENOS AIRES - Argentina has been hit by a wave of looting that has ratcheted up political tensions ahead of October elections as the country grapples with 113 percent annual inflation.
Since Friday, groups of people, sometimes dozens at a time, have forced their way into supermarkets and other stores, fueled by calls on social media, authorities say.
Around 200 people, many of them minors, have been arrested for what locals call "piranha attacks" -- from the outskirts of the capital Buenos Aires, to the Patagonian city of Bariloche and the Mendoza wine region.
Images of ransacked shops have sparked memories of Argentina's 2001 financial meltdown, when a huge debt default and collapse of the banking system led to desperate scenes of looting.
But while some attribute the plundering to the current economic crisis, others see it as an orchestrated effort to destabilize the country ahead of October 22 elections.
Poverty levels in Argentina stand at 40 percent, and adding to inflation woes, the government devalued the peso by 20 percent earlier this month, prompting businesses to raise prices even further.
The looters have taken not only food but anything they can find, such as alcohol, cigarettes, clothes, and other items. One supermarket in Moreno, whose shelves were emptied, was set on fire.
On Tuesday, cabinet chief Agustin Rossi said many of those arrested had criminal records, rejecting the idea that the crimes were a "social reaction."
Security Minister Anibal Fernandez said, "this is not about people looting to feed their families," adding that some of those involved had "almost-new" cars.
He said the looting was "not spontaneous, it is not a coincidence. But we don't have reliable information to attribute it to anyone."
By Daniel Merolla