NEW RATE ON WAY Massa announces new 'dolár agro' exchange rate Yesterdat 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.
CENTRAL BANK Argentina raises key rate to 78% for first time since September 16-03-2023 17:43 Argentina raised its benchmark rate on Thursday for the first time since September after annual inflation surpassed 100%.
CENTRAL BANK Argentina considers first rate hike since September after inflation hit 103% 16-03-2023 08:58 Argentina’s Central Bank is considering raising its benchmark rate for the first time since September, according to two people with direct knowledge.
DEBT DEBATE UN development chief sounds alarm over debt distress 06-03-2023 12:23 A top United NAtions official has warned that "urgent" measures are needed to help 52 countries, including Argentina, facing debt repayment problems that put some at risk of default.
BLOOMBERG - ANALYSIS Argentina is buckling under strain of US$174-billion debt mountain 10-02-2023 14:36 Cut off from global credit markets, Argentina’s government is selling ever more local currency bonds, amassing a debt load that already totals 33 trillion pesos and is rising almost exponentially.
BRAZILIAN ECONOMY Brazil holds rates and sounds the alarm on rising inflation bets 02-02-2023 00:03 Brazil’s Central Bank kept its key interest rate unchanged and expressed concern about the costs of taming rising inflation expectations that have been fuelled by tensions with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s new government.
INTEREST RATES Central Bank poised to hold the key rate at 75% into next year 30-11-2022 08:34 Central Bank tracking suggests monthly inflation could slow to about 5.5% in November, down from 6.3% in October.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS From Coldplay shows to the World Cup, Argentina mixes exchange rates 12-10-2022 08:23 Government officials on Wednesday will roll out new taxes applied to the official exchange rate for foreign travel ahead of the World Cup in Qatar next month and for locals attending concerts by artists such as British rock band Coldplay.
economy Central Bank hikes interest rates to 75% as inflation nears 100% 15-09-2022 23:17 Central Bank boosts benchmark Leliq rate by 5.5 percentage points to 75% in a bid to prop up its currency and curb inflation.
FEATURE Cash-strapped Argentina goes all or nothing on new economy chief 15-09-2022 15:55 New ‘super’ minister has undoubted political clout and scored early wins in Washington – but Sergio Massa’s presidential ambitions depend on avoiding economic meltdown
BLOOMBERG - ANALYSIS Inflation hits 79% ahead of likely rate hike 15-09-2022 15:20 Annual inflation in Argentina surged to 78.5 percent in August, almost certainly cementing another Central Bank interest rate hike as early as this week.
INTEREST RATES Central Bank set to hike rates again on price spike 01-09-2022 01:54 Central Bank set to increase benchmark Leliq rate again next month as annual inflation rises above 70%.
GENDER VIOLENCe Survey: Almost half of women in Argentina have experienced gender violence 30-08-2022 22:07 Study, carried out by the Women, Gender & Diversity Ministry Ministry and part of an EU-UN initiative, quizzed more than 12,000 people across 12 provinces nationwide.
CENTRAL BANK Argentina raises key interest rate to 69.5% in biggest hike since 2019 11-08-2022 16:40 Argentina’s Central Bank raises benchmark Leliq rate in largest hike in almost three years, signalling a more aggressive stance against surging inflation.
BLOOMBERG Central Bank holds key rate at 52% amid faster inflation 15-07-2022 13:11 Decision to maintain the key rate at 52% takes financial markets by surprise.
LIVING WITH CRISIS Argentina remains hooked on ‘dollar-dependence’ 30-06-2022 00:37 Argentines do their accounts in dollars, traumatised by recurrent economic crises and tormented by the inflation that is eating away at their pockets and is projected to exceed 60% this year.
COLOMBIA ELECTIONS 2022 Jubilant Gustavo Petro elected Colombia's first leftist president 20-06-2022 14:35 Ex-guerrilla Gustavo Petro elected Colombia's first ever left-wing president after defeating millionaire businessman rival Rodolfo Hernández in run-off.
Latin America Ex-guerrilla takes on maverick in race to be Colombia's president 18-06-2022 01:20 A former leftist guerrilla and a millionaire businessman will go head-to-head on Sunday hoping to become the new president of Colombia.
Colombia Election 2022 Colombians set to vote in high stakes presidential run-off 17-06-2022 18:22 Colombians vote Sunday in a presidential run-off. Opinion polls have leftist Gustavo Petro and businessman Rodolfo Hernández neck-and-neck.
MONETARY POLICY Argentina raises benchmark rate to 52% as inflation stays hot 16-06-2022 16:54 Central Bank raises benchmark interest rate for the sixth time this year as the government struggles to cool inflation expectations.
WORLD ECONOMY How do interest rates affect the real economy? 16-06-2022 12:42 Faced with the highest inflation in four decades, central banks in the United States, eurozone and UK are hiking interest rates in order to contain inflation.
FEATURE With 58% inflation, nobody in Argentina knows the price of anything 31-05-2022 12:47 With inflation at 58% and accelerating, Argentina's economy is an outlier even in a world where prices are taking off almost everywhere.
COLOMBIA ELECTIONS 2022 Colombian outsider makes run-off with real shot at presidency 31-05-2022 11:18 Rodolfo Hernández, who was little known at the start of the year, surged into Colombia’s presidential run-off – and he now has a real chance at winning against leftist rival Gustavo Petro.
BLOOMBERG Colombia’s number one banker has no fear of leftist front-runner 19-05-2022 08:00 Luis Carlos Sarmiento Gutiérrez would figure to be one of the people fretting the most about the looming election of the first left-wing leader in Colombia’s modern history. But, at least publicly, he betrays little angst about the outcome of the vote this month.
economy Kirchnerites told to resign if they won’t approve gas, electricity hikes 13-05-2022 00:06 Challenging critical Kirchnerite voices, sources close to the Presidency said this week that any public official that opposes rises in utility prices “will not be able to continue in the government.”
BLOOMERG Central Bank raises key rate to 49% as inflation jumps 12-05-2022 20:19 Central Bank to raise interest rates for the fifth time this year in a bid to keep up with rising inflation.
Inflation & Currency Closing the 'escape valve' – Venezuela pursues de-dollarisation 06-05-2022 10:45 Venezuela is now trying to re-energise its own currency, the bolívar, which has been crippled by devaluation in recent years.
BRAZILIAN ECONOMY Brazil hikes key interest rate 10th straight time 04-05-2022 21:13 Brazil's Central Bank raises key interest rate for the 10th straight time, trying to tame surging inflation that has proved tough to slow for policy makers.
TECH & TAX Argentina's tech industry earning billions of dollars off the books 22-04-2022 16:30 Billions of dollars in Argentine technology exports are going unreported as companies and freelance workers skirt currency controls, according to an industry group.
BLOOMBERG Central Bank raises key rate to 47% as inflation soars 13-04-2022 20:52 Central Bank raises interest rates for the fourth time this year after inflation data shows prices increasing at the fastest monthly pace in 20 years.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS Economy misses fourth-quarter estimates, but has record year 24-03-2022 14:45 GDP rose 10.3% in 2021, the best performance since the series began in 2004, according to official data.
CENTRAL BANK Argentina's Central Bank raises key rate to 44.5% as inflation heats up 23-03-2022 15:42 Central Bank raises benchmark rate for the third time this year as inflation continues to speed up.
BLOOMBERG – INTERVIEW Stephen Kaplan: China faces ‘creditor trap’ in lending to Latin America 07-03-2022 08:00 China will be more cautious about extending loans to Latin American countries after difficulties securing repayment suggest it has sometimes fallen into a “creditor trap,” according to economist Stephen Kaplan.
BLOOMBERG Argentina’s Central Bank raises key rate to 42.5% 18-02-2022 03:00 Second rate hike this year; IMF staff have called for interest rates in Argentina to exceed annual inflation.
PRICE RISES IN AMERICAS Brazil posts highest January inflation rate since 2016 09-02-2022 16:50 Brazil's inflation rate slowed in January, but still came in at the highest level for the month since 2016, the government said Wednesday.
Bloomberg The carry trade is minting big returns in Latin America again 09-02-2022 15:32 The carry trade is roaring back in Latin America, home to some of the world’s most aggressive inflation-fighting central banks.
Global pandemic Latin America slowly turns to self Covid tests as cases jump 01-02-2022 14:25 Latin American countries that have been slow or hesitant to approve at-home Covid-19 tests widely used in developed nations are now turning to them to cope with a resurgence of the virus.
INFLATION ON RISE Chile's Central Bank hikes rates again as inflation hits 14-year high 27-01-2022 08:06 Chile's Central Bank announces a third successive hike in its benchmark interest rate in a bid to contain inflation, which is at a 14-year high.
BLOOMBERG – INTERVIEW Colombia presidential front-runner Gustavo Petro seeks global anti-oil bloc 17-01-2022 06:59 Colombia’s presidential front-runner Gustavo Petro is calling on ideological allies across Latin America and the world to join him in forming a new bloc to lead the economy away from fossil fuels.
BLOOMBERG Central Bank hikes rate for first time in a year 07-01-2022 01:41 Argentina raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in over a year as it faces calls from the International Monetary Fund to tighten its monetary policy.
Bloomberg Argentina’s Central Bank weighs rate hike amid IMF talks 15-12-2021 09:12 Central Bank weighing first interest rate increase in over a year as it seeks to bring borrowing costs closer to inflation amid talks with the IMF.
BRAZIL CENTRAL BANK Brazil hikes interest rate by most in two decades 27-10-2021 21:42 Brazil's Central Bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 150 basis points Wednesday – its biggest hike since 2002 as it struggles to tame surging inflation.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Brazil tightens most in tears, with 150 points now and December 27-10-2021 21:40 Brazil’s Central Bank delivered its biggest interest rate increase in almost two decades and pledged another equally large move for December, as it fights alone against deteriorating inflation expectations and growing fiscal concerns.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS The problem with Latin America’s rate hikes: they barely work 09-09-2021 14:25 From Brazil to Mexico, banks tighten faster than global peers; Unstable politics and off-the-books economies limit the impact
GUEST VOICE The challenge of reducing the gap between exchange rates 04-09-2021 10:39 Continuing the current chasm is a recipe threatening economic revival and halting investments. by Miguel Kiguel
Bloomberg Government speeds up money printing ahead of election 28-07-2021 17:00 Central Bank was printing money for the Treasury at the fastest pace so far this year in July.
Bloomberg Not even 50% inflation will make Argentina boost interest rates 23-07-2021 16:47 Central Bank rules out increasing interest rates for the foreseeable future, even as currency pressures mount and annual inflation climbs above 50%.
Bloomberg Latin America rate hike pressure grows as Chile signals lift-off 24-06-2021 09:11 A shift toward tighter monetary policy is quickly taking shape across Latin America. Central banks played a crucial role in the region’s economic response to multiple waves of the coronavirus.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Six sovereign defaults in 13 months roil Latin American markets 13-05-2021 10:21 Sovereign bond defaults have piled up at a dizzying clip in Latin America since the coronavirus pandemic began.
POLITICS Frente de Todos puts on show of ‘unity’ as problems mount 07-05-2021 01:05 President Alberto Fernández hails the strength of his ruling coalition in wake of Supreme Court ruling.