GUEST COLUMN Malaysia’s capital control (cepo) success – a journey beginning in Buenos Aires 19-04-2025 06:03 Malaysia’s success highlights the importance of policy credibility, clarity of purpose and exit strategy in the use of capital controls.
POLITICS & ECONOMY – ANALYSIS Milei dreams of re-election – with IMF's help 19-04-2025 06:00 Whether signing an IMF deal represents a “day of liberation” or one of mourning, it lifts a cloud of uncertainty and allows the political ecosystem to focus on upcoming elections. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Analysing Argentina Milei and the bicycle temptation 19-04-2025 06:00 The Milei government is confident it can make it to the midterm elections in October without major volatility. But this relative calm — won by force of debt — should not obscure the storm that was brewing before the cash injection. by Marcelo J. García
Campaign comments First day of the rest of the year 19-04-2025 06:00 Economists have hailed the exit from the cepo as a milestone but this columnist hesitates to consider it an electoral game-changer – there is both too much and too little time for that. by Michael Soltys
ANALYSIS: SHOCK THERAPY Milei risks reigniting inflation by floating Argentina’s peso 16-04-2025 12:35 Decision to ease currency controls is having an impact in the real economy. Retailers and importers are cautiously adjusting their prices as the peso weakens. And some fear it could spark inflation.
ECONOMY – ANALYSIS IMF bets billions on Milei’s chainsaw to avert past debacles 13-04-2025 08:50 Frontloading disbursements is a controversial move that increases the IMF’s exposure to its biggest debtor, just as Milei faces the same policy dilemmas that have doomed his predecessors.
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Milei gains 'breathing room' from his ties with Trump 12-04-2025 11:54 The support President Milei has garnered from the Trump administration stands in stark contrast to the mounting challenges on the home front. by Pablo Varela
Global politics – Analysis Trump, Milei and how to lose the trust of markets and voters 12-04-2025 05:37 Trump stepped back from the edge, at least momentarily, even though he is keeping his finger on the trigger. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Analysing Argentina Careful Javier, the ‘caste’ smells blood 12-04-2025 05:29 Legislators who had until now been cooperative or aloof toward confrontation with Milei are changing their tune, in line with what they hear from their constituencies. by Marcelo J. García
Campaign comments And so it begins 12-04-2025 05:22 This year’s midterm voting begins tomorrow in the major province of Santa Fe with the constituent assembly elections. by Michael Soltys
BLOOMBERG - FEATURE Milei tries erasing Argentina’s history to lure foreign investment 08-04-2025 09:04 Argentina’s president is desperate to woo foreign investors. But he's had more success tearing down physical symbols of the old guard than untangling the web of red tape it left behind.
OPINION & ANALYSIS Milei's private dinners, cash and political transparency 07-04-2025 11:09 What's at stake in a US$20,000-steaks case...
Analysing Argentina Can Cristina Fernández de Kirchner be the next Donald Trump? 05-04-2025 06:13 It is difficult to imagine a Fernández de Kirchner comeback à la Trump. Or rather, her comeback has already happened, no matter how much she denies it by Marcelo J. García
POLITICS & ECONOMY – ANALYSIS Milei: a tourist in Mar-a-Lago 05-04-2025 06:10 As Donald Trump rattles up the world with his tariffs, things are heating up domestically for President Javier Milei. by Agustino Fontevecchia
POVERTY ASSESSMENT ‘Not much to celebrate’ despite fall in poverty, says expert 01-04-2025 13:13 Leading poverty expert Agustín Salvia, of UCA’s prestigious social debt observatory, digs into the figures after INDEC reports dramatic fall in numbers of poor.
Analysing Argentina Will Elon Musk’s plumber pay for Milei’s trips abroad? 29-03-2025 06:11 There is reason behind the IMF’s decision to throw its weight behind President Milei, which means partnering with his political objectives too. by Marcelo J. García
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Tales of the blue (dollar) 29-03-2025 06:11 Milei and Caputo have promised to lift the 'cepo' currency controls. It won’t signal the end of the 'blue,' but it should reduce its importance and the wild fluctuations that voraciously mint millionaires and, at the same speed, erase their fortunes. by Agustino Fontevecchia
ANALYSIS: SHOCK THERAPY Traders bet on weaker peso as Milei’s IMF deal looms 26-03-2025 21:39 Investors see Argentina’s peso on the verge of devaluation again, but for Javier Milei, such a step could prove costly – especially ahead of midterm elections in October.
ANALYSING ARGENTINA Autumn is coming for Javier Milei 22-03-2025 07:41 Last week, we discussed how an electoral agreement with the governor of Chaco signalled a possible pattern. This week, Chaco Governor Leandro Zdero received a 120-billion-peso transfer from the federal government. Just don’t tell the IMF. by Marcelo J. García
ANALYSIS: SHOCK THERAPY Milei’s inflation miracle distorted by obsolete items in index 19-03-2025 17:12 Calls are getting louder for President Javier Milei’s government to redo the make-up of the consumer price index for the first time in two decades.
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Violence and institutional informality 15-03-2025 07:29 There are serious questions as to what happened on the streets outside Congress, but it clearly helped to distract the attention away from what was going on inside Congress and in the troubled port city of Bahía Blanca. by Agustino Fontevecchia
OPINION & ANALYSIS Transportation electrification is coming, but will it spark a broader shift? 11-03-2025 11:19 From the heart of Buenos Aires to remote corners of Patagonia, the electrification of transportation is gaining momentum, driven by a convergence of innovation, government support and a broad push for modernisation. by Heliana Veronica Higbie
POLITICS: CORRIDORS OF POWER Santiago Caputo’s consecutive errors, government accelerates campaign mode 05-03-2025 10:25 Run of missteps by Javier Milei’s star spin doctor causes problems for the President. by Ramón Indart
ANALYSIS Milei feels the heat of the $LIBRA scandal 01-03-2025 07:18 Milei is doubling down. Not only does he deny any wrongdoing, he’s also trying to push forward with his own agenda. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Analysing Argentina Flooding the zone might drown the Milei administration 01-03-2025 05:24 The fragility of Argentina’s economy demands sobriety and steadiness — something that zone-flooders may lack as they attempt to sow confusion. by Marcelo J. García
BEYOND THE HEADLINES Hidden by crypto 22-02-2025 06:59 The Once train crash was technically a railway accident far more frequently dubbed a tragedy and a crime in not a few eyes – few transport disasters have been so heavily politicised even if two previous rail accidents had claimed more lives. by Michael Soltys
Analysing Argentina Milei’s long honeymoon is over, what happens next? 22-02-2025 06:32 For the first time since December 2023, Milei and his people lost control of the narrative … more than ever, Milei now relies on the success of his economic programme. by Marcelo J. García
As I see it Milei caught in a crypto spider web 22-02-2025 06:09 By associating himself with a cosmopolitan bunch of chancers, Milei has raised serious questions about the government he leads. by James Neilson
OPINION & ANALYSIS Milei and the ‘$LIBRA’ scandal: How far does it go? 19-02-2025 15:20 Milei has a track record of reckless stances on troubled digital ventures. The consequences of the ‘$LIBRA’ scandal could be unpredictable and perhaps, it has only just begun. by Javier Calvo
As I see it A cyberpunk at the helm 15-02-2025 06:10 Is Milei an astute operator who is merely playing the role of a foul-mouthed cyberpunk or is he simply showing the world the kind of person he really is? by James Neilson
ANALYSING ARGENTINA Cavallo, Milei and the elephant in the room 15-02-2025 06:08 Besides numbers, markets measure moods and tones. And the tone they got from President Javier Milei this week may not have been reassuring. by Marcelo J. García
POLITICS & ECONOMY – ANALYSIS Milei’s week of fury 15-02-2025 06:05 The market has doubts as to whether Milei and Caputo can sustain what is clearly a super strong peso, forcing them to come out publicly to defend their policy choices. The level of aggression with which they have defended their position suggests that the risks to their strategy are real. by Agustino Fontevecchia
BEYOND THE HEADLINES Primaries (time and) Again Serve Oppositions 15-02-2025 06:05 Introduced little more than 15 years ago for less than noble reasons and widely rejected today as a waste of time and money, the PASO primaries will not be missed by many. by Michael Soltys
BEYOND THE HEADLINES Woke no joke 08-02-2025 06:55 “Woke” has become a pejorative for anything the new right considers excessively progressive, but too few people here seem to have any precise idea what it means.
Analysing Argentina Can Kicillof break the spell? 08-02-2025 06:11 If the current political trajectory stands, Kicillof would face an uphill battle … but Argentina has shown in recent years that "impossible" is not in the local political dictionary. by Marcelo J. García
Politics – Analysis Milei the copycat 08-02-2025 06:06 Pegging Argentina’s foreign policy to the United States is a risky strategy. by Agustino Fontevecchia
OPINION & ANALYSIS Trump and Gaza: No laughing matter 07-02-2025 10:01 What Trump wants to happen in Gaza is downright dangerous and could have dire consequences for a region that has triggered one war after another for decades. by David Smith
POLITICS – ANALYSIS From PRO to Cambiemos… to Juntos por el Cambio or Juntos? 01-02-2025 08:56 Milei’s first year in office has indicated the need for the ex-members of Juntos por el Cambio to recover their identity. by Jorge Fontevecchia
Analysing Argentina Macri is fighting for his life – he will lose 01-02-2025 08:48 Mauricio Macri is making a desperate attempt to keep his political structure alive — and under his wing. by Marcelo J. García
BEYOND THE HEADLINES Carnal relations and the forces of heaven 01-02-2025 06:05 The Menem Presidency was the closest thing to providing a template for the disruptive novelty of Milei’s administration but the return of Trump to the White House invites new comparisons. by Michael Soltys
ECONOMY – ANALYSIS Argentina and the IMF – scenarios for a possible new agreement 28-01-2025 10:04 Milei government and IMF continue to fine-tune a future agreement which is likely to include a remittance of some US$11 billion to bolster Central Bank coffers, allowing Argentina to remove the ‘cepo’ currency and capital controls. by Gonzalo Martínez
Analysing Argentina Milei’s learning curve 25-01-2025 06:48 Milei’s learning curve should take note from his predecessors: too much orthodoxy or unorthodoxy leads to trouble. by Marcelo J. García
OPINION & ANALYSIS Milei and Trump: On Nazis, outsiders and politicians 25-01-2025 06:21 Trump’s re-election blows wind into the sails of the new right, which is seeking to absolutely dismantle progressivism. by Agustino Fontevecchia
ECONOMIC INDICATORS Argentina's economy grew more than expected in November 23-01-2025 17:42 Economic activity rose 0.9% from October, according to INDEC data.
BLOOMBERG - ANALYSIS Milei back in Davos after racking up victories in Argentina 21-01-2025 09:39 Argentina's president has achieved what few considered possible just a year ago. Will he be able to overcome even bigger challenges in 2025?
BEYOND THE HEADLINES The 86th victim 18-01-2025 06:41 Ten years later, Argentine society is still owed an explanation of a bafflingly mysterious death. by Michael Soltys
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Milei's Marxist culture wars 18-01-2025 06:33 The rise of characters such as Donald Trump in the US, and Milei here in Argentina, is directly tied to their level of political incorrectness and they’ve become equally savage in pushing culturally as far as they can in the other direction. by Agustino Fontevecchia
OPINION & ANALYSIS What the heck is going on with Mark Zuckerberg? 11-01-2025 06:56 There are few doubts that the Silicon Valley elite would benefit from a US president who will ease the regulatory pressure at home while supporting them in their overseas endeavours, particularly one like Trump who has gone on the offensive against the EU. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Analysing Argentina Main Street and Milei Street 11-01-2025 06:26 any process of economic transformation, like the one President Javier Milei is trying to implement, will have winners and losers. by Marcelo J. García
Analysis Midterm elections set limit on Milei’s search for spending cuts 10-01-2025 13:26 Spending cuts in 2024 reached some five percent of Argentina's GDP. Is there room to repeat this feat?