As I see it Quite soon there will be nobody left 21-12-2024 05:07 If present trends are anything to go by, then our descendants, most of whom will be in their dotage, will occupy a prominent place on the endangered species list. by James Neilson
MONETARY POLICY Argentina weighs managed exchange rate once it lifts currency controls 16-12-2024 19:44 President Javier Milei's government is weighing whether to introduce a managed exchange rate regime — a “dirty float” — once it lifts its current foreign exchange controls in 2025.
CAPITAL CONTROLS Why Milei can’t lift currency controls any time soon 16-10-2024 12:15 Argentina has had strict currency controls in place for the past nine out of 13 years. President Javier Milei wants to get rid of them, but for now, he's sticking to the existing regime.
CHILEAN SOCIETY Chile's birth rate plummets as more women say no to motherhood 18-09-2024 11:32 In the past decade, births have fallen by 29% in Chile, which now makes it the country with the lowest birth rate in the Americas.
BEYOND THE HEADLINES To breed or not to breed 03-08-2024 14:17 Until now either population growth or control was the clear preference but today both look a dead end. by Michael Soltys
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Milei under pressure for the first time 06-07-2024 05:59 If the doubts regarding Milei’s capacity to preside over Argentina were tied to governability risk, Caputo’s are connected to credibility risk: it’s difficult to see how the current policy framework can be sustainable in time. by Agustino Fontevecchia
UNREST IN BOLIVIA Growing discontent amid dollar, fuel shortages in resource-rich Bolivia 03-07-2024 10:58 Along with the fuel shortage in Bolivia, which tends to be chronic due to economic problems in imports, there is also a lack of dollars in the country and, consequently, an increase in the exchange rate in the parallel market.
POLITICS & ECONOMY Milei says legislative win paves way for monetary policy pivot 28-06-2024 13:56 President Milei says government will change its monetary policy framework following his first major legislative victory.
AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY Argentina has surplus harvest, but farmers want more from Milei 22-06-2024 09:03 Farmers are delaying agricultural sales as they wait for President Javier Milei to eliminate taxes and exchange barriers.
CURRENCY CONTROLS Argentina to offer bonds in first step to lift currency controls 26-04-2024 13:33 President Javier Milei's government readying a new instrument to allow companies to send dividends abroad, a first step to lift a cobweb of restrictions in its foreign-exchange market.
More hikes on way Gas prices set to rise sharply as Energy Secretariat prepares to trim subsidies 13-03-2024 17:48 Sources in Energy Secretariat anticipate new rates will be disclosed in next week; Energy companies have asked for rises above 500%.
MONETARY POLICY Central Bank cuts rates to 80% in surprise move as inflation cools 12-03-2024 09:43 Central Bank unexpectedly cuts banchmark interest rate as policy-makers forecast cooling of inflation.
APPETITE FOR FOREIGN CURRENCY Dollar fever eases in Milei’s Argentina... good news? 11-03-2024 16:25 Appetite for dollars in Argentina as a shelter against inflation is falling under Milei’s government, but what from afar looks encouraging, smells of recession, declining imports and falling incomes.
Exchange rate woes Investors bet Argentina crawling peg to speed up to 6% by April 22-02-2024 11:34 Investors see Argentina's crawling peg accelerating to six percent monthly by the start of the second quarter, according to peso futures data.
Economy Why the Argentine peso is slipping through Milei’s fingers 18-01-2024 23:30 Despite Javier Milei's best efforts, the gap between blue and official rates remains, and the peso has plunged by about a third against the dollar this year.
EMERGENCY MEASURES The 10 ‘emergency economic measures’ announced by Caputo 12-12-2023 21:42 Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced the devaluation of the peso by over 50 percent to the dollar, as Javier Milei's new government seeks to tackle the country's deep economic woes.
DOLLAR Fernández leaves with 'blue dollar' close to 1,000 pesos a dollar 07-12-2023 16:54 Argentina's president departs the Casa Rosada having overseen large devaluations in the official and unofficial exchange rates. by Ramiro Speranza
DEVALUATION FEARS Investors bet on 44% peso devaluation after Milei’s debut 06-12-2023 15:05 Investors are preparing for a 44% devaluation of the country’s official exchange rate after Javier Milei’s inauguration.
AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY Argentina running out of soy adds to next president’s economic woes 16-11-2023 19:05 After the worst drought in six decade, farmers are running out of the very commodity that fuels Argentina’s economy.
DEVALUATION Argentina begins daily micro-devaluations, days from run-off 16-11-2023 12:36 Four days out from the presidential run-off, Argentina's Central Bank begins micro devaluations of the peso.
CROSS-BORDER SHOPPING Uruguayans pile into Argentina to spend record US$1 billion 30-10-2023 11:11 Uruguayans are taking advantage of Argentina's deep economic crisis with food, vacations and shopping costing a fraction of the price back home.
ELECTION 2023 Debt, inflation and the peso: Argentina's election worries 17-10-2023 12:27 As Argentines head to the polls on October 22 for a crucial presidential election, candidates have campaigned hard on proposed elixirs for the country's economic ills.
INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO Carlos Melconian: ‘I believe that there is an opportunity because we have touched bottom’ 14-10-2023 05:53 Famous for being the “king of metaphor,” Carlos Melconian will be Argentina’s next economy minister if Patricia Bullrich wins the upcoming election. In an extensive interview he explains his integral plan for putting Argentina back on its feet. by Jorge Fontevecchia
EDITORIAL We’ve got the blues again 14-10-2023 05:20 Regardless of whether Milei is an economic terrorist or whether the government is the architect of its own destruction, the problems caused by the extreme volatility of this week’s four-digit dollar are all too real with panic price increases across the board.
DOLLAR Government unifies rates on dollar purchases abroad 10-10-2023 15:21 Qatar, solidary and card dollar rates unified via AFIP resolution; Cost of accessing dollars for these types of purchases now reaches 100%. Which transactions will it affect?
CURRENCY WOES 'Blue dollar' hits 1,000 – pre-election jitters send peso to new lows 10-10-2023 12:25 Argentina's parallel 'blue dollar' broke through the symbolic 1,000-peso mark in parallel markets on Tuesday as citizens scrambled to dump the currency.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE ‘Blue’ dollar soars – parallel exchange rate nears 900/greenback 06-10-2023 16:18 Movement of people and companies trying to dollarise is being felt given the proximity to the presidential election as exchange rate turbulence continues.
Bloomberg Peso tumbles with dollarisation rush amping up before vote 05-10-2023 17:25 Argentina’s peso is tumbling as Argentines rush to exchange pesos for dollars ahead of presidential elections later this month, posting its worst losses since an August sell-off.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Poverty above 40% fuels despair ahead of vote 27-09-2023 18:20 Surging consumer price increases are the dominant factor behind Argentina's ballooning poverty rate.
ELECTION 2023 Javier Milei wows Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk and Argentina’s elite 20-09-2023 14:47 Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk and members of Argentina’s elite are now fans of the radical libertarian who wants to dollarise Argentina’s economy, shut down the Central Bank, slash spending and scrap most taxes.
CROSS-BORDER SHOPPING Border-crossing Uruguayans enjoy bargain shopping in Argentina 11-09-2023 07:42 Faced with the constant devaluation of Argentina's peso, thousands of Uruguayans cross bridges to the neighbouring country every day to take advantage of cheaper goods and services.
DOLLARISATION ON THE CARDS? Argentina’s dollarisation is a ‘bad idea’, top economists say 07-09-2023 13:13 Dollarising Argentina’s economy — as proposed by presidential candidate Javier Milei — is a bad idea that will do little to solve the country’s long-standing fiscal problems, three of Latin America’s most-renowned economists said.
DOLLARISATION ON THE CARDS? Milei in talks to win foreign financing to dollarise economy 07-09-2023 12:51 Javier Milei is in talks with investment funds abroad to obtain the foreign currency needed to dollarise the economy if elected later this year, reveals top adviser Diana Mondino.
AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY 'Soy dollar' back with 25% foreign currency available to exporters 05-09-2023 12:17 Fifth edition of the 'Export Increase Programme' this time does not include unique exchange rate; Applies to exporters from last 18 months; Details of the new decree and the sector's reaction.
FINANCIAL TURBULENCE Financial turbulence: ‘Dólar blue’ hits 600 per greenback 09-08-2023 21:35 Parallel exchange rate passes psychological barrier of 600 pesos per dollar in lead-up to this weekend’s PASO primaries.
ELECTIONS 2023 Bullrich would remove FX controls with IMF's help, says Laspina 07-08-2023 08:34 Opposition presidential hopeful would seek greater support from the IMF to untangle currency controls as soon as possible if elected this year, according to top economic adviser Luciano Laspina.
INFLATION WOES Beef prices to pour more fuel on 116% inflation 07-08-2023 08:28 Decision to temporarily weaken the exchange rate for corn exports — designed to spur shipments abroad — has bumped up domestic feed costs. Now beef prices are set to soar in the coming months.
Economy Brazil’s economic activity tumbles past all forecasts 17-07-2023 19:57 Brazil's economy shrank more than expected in May, but President Lula's government's reforms and anticipated rate cuts have raised investor optimism.
ELECTION 2023 Rodríguez Larreta plans spending cuts to help peso 13-07-2023 15:51 Juntos por el Cambio presidential hopeful plans to cut spending by 4% of GDP; Move intends to allow peso to weaken gradually to level between official and parallel rates, reveals Lacunza.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS Private estimates say Argentina’s poverty rate has risen to 43% 09-07-2023 08:00 Around 12.5 million people in Argentina are now poor, according to new calculations from UCA and Di Tella universities; High inflation in first six months of year and inability of wages to keep pace with wage hikes means further one million people have slipped below the poverty line.
CURRENCY WOES In distorted Buenos Aires rental market, it's dollar vs peso 02-06-2023 10:15 Renting in pesos and on a long-term basis is a titanic task in the capital, where temporary and dollar-denominated supply dominates the market.
FIFA U20 WORLD CUP Government creates US$50-million workaround for U-20 World Cup 19-05-2023 13:29 Just two days before the kick-off of the Under-20 World Cup, Argentina's government creates exceptional one-off exchange rate for the import of football equipment.
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Hanging on in quiet desperation 29-04-2023 05:35 The chain of events that will be most consequential in delivering the next inhabitant of the Casa Rosada have already been set in motion. They are irreversible. by Agustino Fontevecchia
BLOOMBERG - ANALYSIS Argentina slams on the brakes, keeps foot on accelerator 27-04-2023 23:10 Argentina's Central Bank just raised its rate by 1,000 basis points. What appears to be a sharp brake is too little too late. And it won't save the peso.
FINANCIAL TURBULENCE Massa rejects devaluation speculation as peso sinks 22-04-2023 08:13 Revealing WhatsApp message from Economy Minister Sergio Massa denies market speculation about president's imminent resignation and potential currency devaluation.
NEW EXCHANGE RATE Argentina debuts ‘Dollar Malbec’ to aid exports amid drought 31-03-2023 10:16 Economy Minister Sergio Massa confirmed Thursday he’s rolling out a temporary, subsidised exchange rate for wine and other agriculture products, dubbed the “Dollar Agro” or “Dollar Malbec” by the local press.
NEW RATE ON WAY Massa announces new 'dolár agro' exchange rate 30-03-2023 23:20 Argentina looks set to unveil yet another new exchange rate – Sergio Massa's new 'agro dollar' will be used for agricultural products and is another bid to boost Central Bank reserves.
CURRENCY CONTROLS ‘Dolár Malbec’: Argentina plans new exchange rate for wine producers 05-03-2023 08:42 New ‘wine dollar’ set to join country’s alphabet soup of parallel exchange rates, confirms Sergio Massa; Measure set to kick in April 1, with value set to be defined in next 20 days.
WHAT LIES AHEAD IN 2023 Economy 2023: inflation and austerity in an election year 11-01-2023 23:28 The new year will be in a state of permanent tension, as Argentina grapples with spending cuts contained in the agreement with the International Monetary Fund and the political needs of a president in an election year.