News of economic crisis

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

UN: Argentina could lose 850,000 jobs in 2020 amid virus crisis

27-06-2020 07:59 Child poverty in Argentina could reach 58% by the end of the year, warns United Nations in new report.

by Lorena Rodríguez

100 DAYS OF QUARANTINE

100 days of quarantine

27-06-2020 07:48 On March 20, President Alberto Fernández told the nation in a televised address that all citizens would enter a mandatory quarantine period in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Though restrictions in some regions have now been loosened, many Argentines are today waking up this morning to their 100th day of lockdown. Here’s a look back at how the pandemic has changed our lives.

by Michael Soltys

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Fernández tightens AMBA lockdown until July 17 amid virus surge

27-06-2020 07:36 Government cranks up coronavirus lockdown in capital, as Peronist leader calls on citizens in Buenos Aires metropolitan to respect restrictions and ‘return to isolation’ until July 17.

POLITICS & THE PANDEMIC

Lockdown limbo

06-06-2020 09:32 Coronavirus has put everyday life, or the remnants of it, in a loop. Home is where the office lies.

by Martín Gambarotta

KEY STORIES FROM THE LAST SEVEN DAYS

May 31- June 6: What we learned this week

06-06-2020 09:12 A round-up of frontpage stories from the last week in Argentina.

ECONOMY AND CULTURE

Choice of Ramón Carrillo for 5,000-peso bill sparks controversy

23-05-2020 08:04 Health secretary under Perón set to be featured on new banknote, but local Jewish community leaders express anger given his historic links to Nazi Danish doctor Carl Peter Vaernet.

WORLD

Martin Wolf: ‘This is potentially a hinge moment in history’

02-05-2020 08:25 Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator for the Financial Times, discusses the economic fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic, in an exclusive interview with Perfil’s Jorge Fontevecchia.

by Jorge Fontevecchia

Coronavirus pandemic

Pandemic prompts fears for the future from crisis-weary citizens

22-03-2020 16:02 The coronavirus outbreak has paralysed the global economy – and that could not have happened at a worse time for Argentina...

Virus panic

After a US$1-trillion wipeout, emerging markets bank on stimulus

02-03-2020 13:22 With the world reeling from one of the biggest risk sell-offs since the 2008 global financial crisis, more coronavirus-fueled declines in emerging markets may only be tempered by the prospect of coordinated central bank action or large fiscal stimulus.

Bloomberg - Long Read

Money manager expects crisis to worsen as Argentina's bonds blow up

14-02-2020 13:49 Investment fund Franklin Templeton’s star money manager, Michael Hasenstab, interprets government's move to delay a US$1.4-billion local bond payment as a sign that the economic slowdown is only going to worsen.

ECONOMIC CRISIS

Dying becomes a luxury as economic downturn hits home

06-01-2020 23:20 The cost of buying, renting and maintaining graves and tombs is so high that many in Argentina are opting to cremate their loved ones instead.

Emergency Bill

González García: 'Argentina's health system in a critical state'

19-12-2019 15:17 Health minister delivered his comments during a presentation to a congressional Budget and Treasury committee, as lawmakers debate Fernández administration's legislative package.

RECORD CREDIT-LINE

Macri administration has used 83% of IMF loan to pay off external debt, data shows

25-11-2019 17:21 Data from Treasury says 83% went towards paying off debt accrued during the first three years of his presidency, with remainder used to service payments on national debt and fuel imports.

WASHINGTON CALLING

Trump phones Fernández: 'Your victory has been talked of around the world'

01-11-2019 18:11 After five days of silence, the United States president congratulates his new Argentine counterpart. The IMF deal and future cooperation were discussed. “We need to do things together,” Fernandez tells Trump.

DEMONSTRATION

Protesters march against IMF in downtown Buenos Aires

31-10-2019 19:44 First social protest since the election of Alberto Fernandez sees hundreds march through downtown Buenos Aires.

Bloomberg

Macri extends olive branch to Fernández over economy

28-10-2019 14:40 At a meeting Monday morning, the two discussed plans to steer the nation out of the looming economic crisis.

Election 2019

Peronists expect return to power in polarised election

25-10-2019 20:26 Citizens await results of approaching presidential election in the midst of an economic crisis, including rising rates of poverty and inflation. Potential leftist win could mark a significant departure from trend of increasing conservative governments in the region.

POVERTY

Streets of Buenos Aires the last refuge of those hit hardest by crisis

25-10-2019 15:24 Homelessness has increased markedly during Argentina's worst economic crisis since 2001 and the capital's growing population of street-dwellers are finding it increasingly difficult to get by.

AS I SEE IT

Crunch time is about to arrive

19-10-2019 13:36 For most of the country’s political leaders, trade unionists, businessmen and other influential personalities, the traditional way of doing things is perfectly natural and the ideas they cling to are only common sense.

by James Neilson

World

WhatsApp tax sparks protests in Lebanon

18-10-2019 15:28 In the midst of a massive economic downturn, the government imposed taxes on the free messaging service. Widespread outcry ultimately compelled the government to reverse its policy within hours, but protests have yet to cease.

POVERTY

Food on the table the priority for nation’s poorest

13-09-2019 23:34 Talk of the exchange rate and the dollar is mostly absent in Villa 21-24, the urban face of Argentina’s economic crisis.

ECONOMY

Lacunza calls for new deadlines for IMF debt repayments

28-08-2019 18:30 In a press conference on Wednesday, the finance minister expressed the government's intent to negotiate a new debt restructuring with the IMF.

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

Business groups: 50 Argentine firms closing a day as a result of crisis

04-06-2019 18:05 Business chambers criticise government's 'anti-industrial economic model,' demand effort to 'reconstruct' productive industries.

ECONOMIC TURBULENCE

Government warns 'long and painful' recession lies ahead

08-09-2018 10:16 President Mauricio Macri begins week by announcing austerity package, Central Bank chief Luis Caputo ends week with honest assessment of economic outlook, as peso calms slightly against the dollar.