Latest news of Buenos Aires Times

A picture of the late Pope Francis is displayed on the altar during a mass at the Buenos Aires Cathedral on April 23, 2025.

How Argentina will say goodbye to Pope Francis

Today 21:41 Argentina will bid final farewell to Pope Francis with a Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires, following vigils and pilgrimages to iconic places in the late pontiff’s life.

Carabineri stand guard with a background view of St Peter's Basilica of The Vatican where the late Pope lies in state, in Rome on April 24, 2025. The Vatican on April 24 said some 61,000 people had already paid their respects to Pope Francis, whose body is lying in state in St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral.

Death of Pope Francis

Vatican welcomes world leaders for farewell for Francis

Today 21:34 Some 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs to attend the funeral. Alongside Trump and Milei, they include Brazil President Lula, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Britain's Prince William.

FUNERAL OF POPE FRANCIS

Pope's Argentine nephew donated tickets to travel to funeral

Today 15:48 Mauro Bergoglio, nephew of Pope Francis, says private donor had paid for him to travel to his uncle's funeral after the government failed to invite him to join officials travelling to Rome.

Kristalina Georgieva, International Monteary Fund (IMF) managing director.

IMF SUPPORT FOR MILEI

Georgieva urges Argentina to ‘stay the course’ with economic reforms

Today 15:43 IMF holds firm on 5.5% growth forecast despite global risks and trade uncertainty.

Death of Pope Francis

Milei set for funeral of 'most important Argentine in history’

Today 15:10 Javier Milei hails “impressive leader” before departing on flight bound for Rome to attend the funeral of Argentine pontiff at the Vatican; Impossible not to attend “event of this magnitude,” says President.

People hold the flag of Argentina on Via della Conciliazione street with St Peter's Basilica in the background near the Vatican in Rome, on April 24, 2025.

DEATH OF POPE FRANCIS

Thousands line up for second day to bid Pope Francis farewell

Today 11:49 More than 60,000 people have so far marched past the coffin of Pope Francis to bid him a final farewell.

A woman places a lit candle on an altar in front of the house where the late Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis, lived in the Flores neighborhood in Buenos Aires on April 23, 2025.

LATE PONTIFF'S LEGACY

'Slum priests' in Argentina take Pope's message to the poor

Today 11:18 The loss of Pope Francis has deeply affected the Catholic community worldwide, yet, priests from his hometown of Buenos Aires are keeping his legacy alive.

CURRENCY, FX POLICY

Peso will float freely, but it’s not yet time, says Bausili

Today 10:24 Argentina’s exchange rate will be fully liberalised “in time,” says Central Bank Governor Santiago Bausili at event in Washington.

MULTILATERALISM

IAEA chief Grossi voices interest in UN secretary-general post

Today 00:47 UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says he is "very seriously" considering a run to become UN secretary-general when the position opens up in 2027.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Economy grew more than expected in February

Yesterday 22:47 Economic activity rose 5.7% in February year-on-year, reveals data from the INDEC national statistics bureau.

A currency exchange house in Buenos Aires on April 14, after Javier Milei eased currency controls in Argentina.

ANALYSIS: SHOCK THERAPY

Milei defies forecasts so far as Argentina’s peso strengthens

Yesterday 22:41 Analysts see a stronger peso over the next few months with traders buying into President Javier Milei's plan.

The B3 stock exchange in São Paulo, Brazil.

Supply lines

Latin America is master of its markets, not Trump, Bradesco says

Yesterday 22:34 Outlook for Latin American shares depends more on local elections and fiscal and monetary policy than it does Donald Trump’s tariff war.

Carlos Fernández, Paraguay finance minister.

SUPPLY LINES

Mercosur shields Paraguay from Trump tariff pain, says finance chief

Yesterday 22:29 Membership in one of the world’s most protectionist trade blocs will help shield Paraguay from the worst of near-term disruptions caused by US tariffs.

A banner with the image of Pope Francis hangs from a stand at Pedro Bidegain stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina,

POPE & SPORT

A stadium and a San Lorenzo shirt for Argentina's 'Captain' Francis

Yesterday 18:11 Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the beautiful game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with football metaphors in his homeland.

Jorge Bergoglio with Néstor Kirchner; Pope Francis with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner; with Mauricio Macri and Julia Awada; and with Alberto Fernández.

THE PONTIFF & POLITICS

A political Pope – probing Francis’ ties with Argentina’s presidents

Yesterday 11:52 The man formerly known as Jorge Bergoglio recognised himself as being a political figure, long before his arrival in Rome. He once declared: "Christians should not be apolitical." A look at his links with Néstor Kirchner, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Mauricio Macri, Alberto Fernández and Javier Milei.

FUNERAL OF POPE FRANCIS

The world leaders set to attend Pope Francis' funeral

Yesterday 11:22 The death of Pope Francis has rattled the world. A look at the names of world leaders who have confirmed they will pay their respects at his funeral on Saturday.

People queue to pay respects as the body of Pope Francis lies in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican, on April 23, 2025.

Death of Pope Francis

What we know about Pope Francis' funeral

Yesterday 11:14 Pope Francis is set to be buried on Saturday, this is what to expect and what we know so far.

ENERGY & GAS

Governors seek Vaca Muerta investments at Texas energy summit

Yesterday 11:12 Leaders from four provinces in Argentina – Río Negro, Neuquén, Mendoza and Córdoba – aim to showcase their competitiveness to the global oil elite in Texas at the Offshore Technology Conference.

by Eugenia Muzio

The body of Pope Francis lies in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican, on April 23, 2025.

Death of Pope Francis

Tens of thousands say goodbye to Pope Francis lying in state

Yesterday 09:14 Body of Pope Francis transported to Saint Peter's Basilica, where his body will lie in state for the public to visit and mourn before his funeral on Saturday.

This photo taken and released on April 23, 2025, by The Vatican Media shows pallbearers carrying the coffin of late Pope Francis during the procession of the late Pope's coffin from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pope Francis' coffin carried to Saint Peter's Basilica

Yesterday 08:54 Funeral preparations of Pope Francis have been initiated with the procession of his coffin to Saint Peter's Basilica.

Ranchers load feed pens for cattle on a farm in Maraba, Brazil.

AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK

From meat to grains, trade war is a boon to Brazil and Argentina

22-04-2025 14:38 Escalating tensions between the United States and China have created an opening for Brazil and Argentina to ramp up exports.

FINANCING BOOST?

Bessent signals US willingness to offer Argentina a credit line

22-04-2025 14:34 US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Trump administration would be willing to offer Argentina’s government a credit line if President Javier Milei’s economic turnaround was in jeopardy.

People take photos of a portrait of the late Pope Francis displayed at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 21, 2025.

A POPE FOR LATIN AMERICA

Latin America bids fond farewell to its first pontiff

22-04-2025 13:17 News of death of Pope Francis moves many in Latin America; Personalities such as Lionel Messi and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pay tribute.

Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

IMF holds firm on Argentina growth forecast despite global uncertainty

22-04-2025 12:35 Washington-based lender cites early 2025 economic rebound and rising confidence amid broader warnings over global slowdown.

Pope Francis meets Javier Milei in Vatican City, on February 12, 2024.

PRESIDENT TO ROME

Government confirms President Milei will attend Pope’s funeral

22-04-2025 11:36 President Javier Milei will leave on a flight bound for Rome on Thursday night to attend the funeral of Argentine pontiff at the Vatican; Sister Karina among travelling delegation that includes four ministers and spokesman.

PONTIFF'S LOVE OF FOOTBALL

The Pope with 'two left feet' who loved the 'beautiful game'

22-04-2025 10:34 For Pope Francis, football is more than just "the most beautiful game" – it can also be used as a vehicle to educate and spread peace.

Death of Pope Francis

A 'discreet death': Vatican recounts Pope's last hours

22-04-2025 09:35 What we know about the circumstances surrounding the Argentine pontiff's death and what is to follow.

Death of Pope Francis

Pope’s funeral to take place on April 26 in Rome

22-04-2025 09:25 Pope Francis's funeral will be held on Saturday, the Vatican announced, as world leaders from US President Donald Trump to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said they would attend to honour the Catholic leader.

Undated photograph of the then-Jorge Bergoglio as a young child.

POPE FRANCIS' EARLY YEARS

'One isn't born a saint!' – School nuns remember Pope as a boy

21-04-2025 21:34 Nuns at the school in Buenos Aires where Pope Francis started his religious journey at the young age of five remember his early days.

Argentine artist Javier Sativa draws the face of the late Pope Francis on a street in front of the entrance of the Buenos Aires Cathedral on April 21, 2025.

DEATH OF POPE FRANCIS

The Pope who never returned – Argentina mourns its national hero

21-04-2025 19:39 Twelve years after celebrating Pope Francis’ coronation, Argentines mourn the death of a national hero who never returned home.

Pope Francis, pictured at the main balcony of St Peter's basilica for the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing to the city and the world as part of Easter celebrations, at St Peter's square in the Vatican on April 20, 2025.

Death of Pope Francis

Pope pushed himself, knew he 'did not have long left' – Vatican source

21-04-2025 16:45 Weakened by five weeks battling double pneumonia in hospital, some in the Vatican suspect the 88-year-old pontiff knew that his strength was abandoning him.

Pope Francis makes a surprise appearance at the end of the mass for Palm Sunday at St Peter's square in the Vatican on April 13, 2025.

DEATH OF POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis died of a stroke, confirms Vatican in statement

21-04-2025 15:35 Francis died of "cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse," says Vatican in a statement.

A faithful Catholic prays at Basilica San José de Flores in Buenos Aires on April 21, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis in the Vatican.

ARGENTINE PONTIFF

Flores, football and villas – Pope Francis' life in Buenos Aires

21-04-2025 15:25 Pope Francis' legacy will live on in the neighbourhood of Flores, at his beloved San Lorenzo football club and in the shantytowns he regularly visited.

OBITUARY

Pope Francis, promoter of more compassionate Church, dies at 88

21-04-2025 14:51 Pontiff was praised for focus on poverty and human suffering; Born in Argentina, he was the first pope from the Americas.

President Javier Milei, pictured at the Olivos presidential residence with his girlfriend, 'Yuyito' González.

FIN DE AMOR

‘Yuyito’ González confirms split from President Javier Milei

21-04-2025 14:24 Showbiz star Amalia 'Yuyito' González announces on her daytime TV programme that her and President Javier Milei have decided to end their relationship.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

President Milei to travel to Vatican for Pope Francis’ funeral

21-04-2025 13:50 President Javier Milei will travel to Rome to attend Pope Francis' funeral at the Holy See; Government declares seven days of mourning following pontiff's death.

Jorge García Cuerva, Arbishop of Buenos Aires, leads a Mass in homage to Pope Francis at the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral on April 21, 2025.

Death of Pope Francis

Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva: ‘We’ve lost the Pope of the poor’

21-04-2025 12:26 Archbishop of Buenos Aires pays homage to Pope Francis as he leads Mass at cathedral; “We’re lost the father of all humanity,” declares Jorge García Cuerva.

DEATH OF ARGENTINE PONTIFF

Who am I to judge? Pope Francis in quotes

21-04-2025 11:42 Pope Francis, who will go down in history as a radical pontiff and a champion of underdogs, died on Monday at age 88, having forged a more compassionate Catholic Church.

Pope Francis greeting the crowd at a celebration marking the end of the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016.

Catholic Church

Pope Francis has died – what happens next?

21-04-2025 11:39 After the official announcement of Pope Francis' death, a few steps need to be followed. To properly mourn and bury him, and to select his successor.

Faithful attend a mass at Buenos Aires Cathedral on April 21, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis in the Vatican.

REACTION IN ARGENTINA

'We are orphaned': Argentina mourns loss of papal son

21-04-2025 11:27 Mourners gather at Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral to collectively mourn the loss of their late pontiff, compatriot and hero, Pope Francis.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 21: Mourners gather at St. Patricks Church in New York to pay respects to Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 in New York City.

Catholic Church

Faith foes: Pope Francis' fight with the Catholic right

21-04-2025 11:25 Pope Francis made many radical changes to the Catholic Church, arousing both fervour and fury with his reforms.

This photo taken on February 12, 2024, shows Pope Francis during a private audience with President Javier Milei at the Vatican.

PRESIDENT ON POPE

President Milei hails Pope's 'wisdom' despite 'differences'

21-04-2025 07:56 President bids farewell to Buenos Aires-born pontiff with statement recognising "differences" between two Argentines.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pope Francis's delicate ties with politics in Argentina

21-04-2025 07:15 Buenos Aires-born pontiff undertook dozens of foreign visits, including trips in South America to Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and Peru – but he never returned to the beloved city where he was schooled.

Pope Francis is silhouetted during a private audience at the Vatican.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, dead at 88

21-04-2025 06:30 Pope Francis has died, confirms Vatican in statement; Pontiff aroused both fervour and fury within the Church with reforms aimed at opening up centuries-old institution to the modern-day faithful.

PRESIDENT & THE PRESS

Milei ramps up attacks on ‘hitman’ journalists in online rant

20-04-2025 16:15 President brands critical journalists “hitmen” and “lying trash,” targets 'La Nación' columnist by name in latest rant, drawing rebuke from press freedom groups.

Tatuajes en Argentina – social phenomenon that is only growing.

Society

Three in ten Argentines now have tattoo – more women getting inked

20-04-2025 11:37 What was, until not so long ago, considered to be a symbol of marginality has now become a mark of identity. According to an opinion poll carried out by the Voices! consultancy firm, three out of every ten Argentines have some kind of tattoo on their skin – and almost half of youngsters surveyed plan to get one in the next year.

by Enrique Garabetyan

Pope Francis greets the crowd from the popemobile after the Easter mass, at St Peter's square in the Vatican on April 20, 2025.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Frail Pope Francis takes to popemobile to greet Easter crowd

20-04-2025 09:17 Pope's convalescence from pneumonia has kept him away from most Holy Week events but Francis made a major effort Sunday, greeting the faithful from his popemobile for nearly 15 minutes.

Nur Azman Rahim, Ambassador of Malaysia to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

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.

Milei and the International Monetary Fund.

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

As I see it

Milei goes low in an effort to get high

19-04-2025 06:00 To get the big electoral majority he is after, Milei will have to persuade such people that he is the man, as was Juan Domingo Perón in his moment and after him, Carlos Menem and Néstor Kirchner.

by James Neilson

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

Editorial

Floating on air?

19-04-2025 06:00 Milei might echo Alfonsín by proclaiming: “Happy Easter, the dollar is in order” but early days – a more total exit from currency and capital controls by Macri in in late 2015 was even smoother, without ensuring him a happy ending.

‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ by Edmond Rostand, translated by Brian Hooker; Directed by Dimon Chater; Suburban Players at The Playhouse, San Isidro.

THEATRE

A nose for theatre

18-04-2025 17:57 ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ by Edmond Rostand, translated by Brian Hooker; Directed by Simon Chater; Suburban Players at The Playhouse, San Isidro.

by Michael Soltys

A demonstrator gestures as he is being arrested by members of the Argentine Federal Police during a protest called by retirees demanding an increase in pensions and against economic adjustment by the government of President Javier Milei in front of the National Congress in Buenos Aires on April 16, 2025.

the week in review

Stories that caught our eye: April 11 to 18

18-04-2025 17:29 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina – including some pretty big announcements last Friday...

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Award-winning biologist slams Milei’s defunding of science

18-04-2025 00:31 Scientist Sandra Díaz has voiced criticism of President Javier Milei's government and its defunding of scientific research in Argentina.

Ronald David Scott – more commonly known as Ronnie Scott – has died at the age of 107.

OBITUARY

Ronnie Scott, beloved World War II veteran, dies aged 107

17-04-2025 19:41 An inspiration to much of the local community, Ronald David Scott – who volunteered from Argentina to join the Allies’ war effort in 1942 – passes away in his 108th year.

by Michael Soltys

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador in the Oval Office of the White House April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

El Salvador becoming 'black hole' for US deportees, critics fear

17-04-2025 17:22 Notorious CECOT prison is becoming a dangerous destination that Trump has been utilizing for his mistreatment of US deportees.

European Union and Mercosur member nation flags.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU hopes Trump tariffs can nudge Mercosur deal past finish line

17-04-2025 09:10 Spectre of transatlantic trade war is fuelling hopes of a silver lining in Europe: that the long-awaited EU-Mercorur free-trade deal could get a final green light.

Sebastián Kiczka (left) and Germán Kiczka.

COURTS

Former Misiones lawmaker sentenced to 14 years in child sex abuse case

17-04-2025 01:20 Germán Kiczka and his brother Sebastián convicted by provincial court of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.; Ex-Activar lawmaker handed 14 years in prison, sibling given 12 years for same crimes and sexual abuse of 15-year-old girl.

Inter Milan's Argentine forward Lautaro Martínez celebrates with supporters after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich at the San Siro stadium in Milan on April 16, 2025.

FOOTBALL: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Tale of two Martínez – Lautaro progresses; ‘Dibu’ knocked out

16-04-2025 22:35 Two of Argentina's World Cup winners. Emiliano Martínez and Lautaro Martínez, both flew the flag in the Champions League quarter-finals, though their experiences could not have been more different.

by Dan Edwards

Brazil's Conselho Federal de Medicina (CFM, Federal Council of Medicine).

HUMAN RIGHTS

Brazil prohibits hormone therapy for transgender minors

16-04-2025 18:22 Brazilian health authority raises legal age for transgender people to receive hormone therapy from 16 to 18; Also raises minimum age for sexual reassignment surgery "that involves a potentially sterilising effect" from 18 to 21 years.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

What was the exchange rate when Milei came into office?

16-04-2025 16:10 Official exchange rate almost doubled from near 400 pesos to 838 pesos per greenback in the initial four days after Milei’s inauguration – now it stands closer to 1,200.

Picture released by the Presidency press office shows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaking next to Argentina's President Javier Milei during a joint statement at the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires on April 14, 2025.

RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON

US Treasury secretary makes flying visit – with no extra dollars

16-04-2025 14:52 Behind the scenes of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s visit to Argentina. Lunch with business leaders, Caputo and Milei meets, celebrations at the Economy Ministry and trade talks.

by Eugenia Muzio

Crime & Security

La Matanza tops homicide stats in Buenos Aires Province

16-04-2025 14:23 More than 150 murders were recorded in La Matanza last year — 11 more than in 2023.

Exchange rates are displayed in the financial district of Buenos Aires.

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.

ENERGY & GAS

Vista buys Petronas’ Argentina oil stake in US$1.5-billion deal

16-04-2025 12:25 Deal all but cements exit of Malaysia’s Petronas; It’s also a sign that development of Vaca Muerta will increasingly be spearheaded by homegrown drillers.

Then-president Alberto Fernández and then-first lady Fabiola Yáñez.

COURTS

Alberto Fernández reiterates denial as court confirms gender violence trial

16-04-2025 10:56 Former president set for trial after indictment confirmed by appeals court; Ex-president alleged beat and threatened his ex-partner, former first lady Fabiola Yáñez; Veteran Peronist again denies charges against him.

Dalma Maradona, daughter of late football icon Diego Maradona, arrives at the court for a trial hearing on her father's death in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, on April 15, 2025.

DEATH OF DIEGO MARADONA

Maradona's daughter says doctors could have prevented star's death

16-04-2025 10:16 Dalma Maradona accuses doctors of deception and neglect as late footballer's final days come under scrutiny in emotional trial.

Wang Wei, China's ambassador in Argentina.

DIPLOMATIC ROW

Chinese Embassy hits back after Bessent’s remarks in Argentina

15-04-2025 17:48 Beijing’s Embassy in Buenos Aires issues expressing “deep dissatisfaction and categorical rejection of the malicious slanders and libellous remarks” made by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during visit to Buenos Aires.

IMF BOOSTS RESERVES

Central Bank reserves hit US$36 billion after first IMF tranche

15-04-2025 17:26 First disbursement of US$12 billion arrives from International Monetary Fund, boosting reserves; Official exchange rate rises to 1,223 pesos per dollar; Country risk falls to 725 points.

ENERGY & GAS

PAE confirms shale gas reserves in Chubut Province

15-04-2025 16:51 Pan American Energy to invest US$250 million in project to exploit shale gas findings in Cerro Dragon field, says Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Axel Kicillof.

ELECTIONS 2025

CFK airs gripes, but accepts Kicillof’s electoral advance

15-04-2025 16:07 Former president and PJ chair Cristina Fernández de Kirchner argues that it would be "best for Buenos Aires Province to vote once" in October, but she calls for support for Governor Axel Kicillof’s bill – while describing it as “a political error.”

This combination of pictures created on February 04, 2025 shows, L-R, US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2025, in Washington, DC and China's President Xi Jinping speaking in Macau on December 19, 2024.

GEOPOLITICS & DIPLOMACY

Trump’s China trade war is forcing Latin America to pick a side

15-04-2025 14:02 Intensifying battle between world’s two largest economies has left governments grappling with the reality that their days of doing big business with Beijing without serious blowback from Washington are numbered.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Chile unveils ‘bioceanic road corridor’ plan to fanfare

15-04-2025 13:18 President Gabriel Boric presents massive infrastructure project – the cost of which was not revealed – that would link the north of Chile with Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay to form a new trade route between the Atlantic and the Asia-Pacific.

US TREASURY SECRETARY

Bessent expects Argentina to be able to pay off China swap

14-04-2025 19:13 Scott Bessent hails Argentina as a free-market beacon in Latin America; US Treasury secretary said he expects Argentina to be able to pay off its swap line with China, but that US government isn’t considering providing any direct credit.

A combine harvester cuts through a field of soybean plants at a drought-affected farm in San José de la Esquina, Argentina in April 2023.

AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY

Milei tells farmers to sell soy now as peso slides 12%

14-04-2025 19:08 Farmers are starting to harvest their soy crop, worth billions of dollars in export revenues that Milei desperately needs at the Central Bank. But, so far, they have traded it at a crawl.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Buenos Aires.

Foreign relations & diplomacy

US Treasury secretary offers 'full support' to Milei at Casa Rosada

14-04-2025 17:29 US Treasury Scott Bessent visits Buenos Aires for talks with Javier Milei, his economic team and private-sector representatives; Official tells President he wants Washington to be Argentina's "partner of choice".

Access to Milei's inner circle: Iñáki Gutiérrez, Karina Milei, Manuel Adorni, Santiago Caputo, 'Yuyito' González, Diego Spagnuolo.

VISITS TO OLIVOS

Milei in solitude at Olivos? Probing entry logs for absentees, regular visitors

14-04-2025 15:39 Official records show President Javier Milei receives very few officials at the Olivos presidential residence, not even from his partner or sister. The surprise is digital influencer Iñaki Gutiérrez, a regular visitor.

by Pablo Varela

A sign with the value of the dollar exchange rate is seen in a store window in Buenos Aires on April 14, 2025.

ECONOMIC CHANGES

Peso slides, bonds jump after FX rules lifted

14-04-2025 13:46 Argentina’s sovereign debt climbed Monday while the peso slipped after the country lifted most of its currency-market restrictions.

A woman stands in front of a money exchange office with the value of the currency in the window in Buenos Aires on April 14, 2025.

CHAU CEPO

'Cepo' lifted: Peso depreciates 8.4% in initial trading

14-04-2025 13:24 Peso depreciated 8.4% against the US dollar at the open of markets on Monday, following the partial removal of foreign exchange controls in place since 2019.

Maximiliano Pullaro celebrates victory in Santa Fe elections.

ELECTIONS 2025

Milei’s party third as election year kicks off in Santa Fe

14-04-2025 13:01 Pullaro celebrates victory in Santa Fe constituent assembly vote; Milei’s La Libertad Avanza finishes in third, narrowly trailing Peronist candidate.

OBITUARY

Mario Vargas Llosa: Peruvian Nobel-winning novelist

13-04-2025 23:25 As one of Latin America’s foremost writers and intellectuals, Mario Vargas Llosa defended individual liberty, democracy and the free market, which often put him at odds with his peers and political leaders in the region.

LITERARY LEGEND DIES

Mario Vargas Llosa, Latin American literary heavyweight, dies at 89

13-04-2025 23:15 Mario Vargas Llosa has died in Lima at the age of 89, confirms family; Nobel literature laureate is considered to be one of the greats of Latin America's literary "boom" of the 1960s and 1970s.

Ecuador's President and Presidential candidate Daniel Noboa talks to supporters in Olón, Santa Elena province, Ecuador on April 13, 2025.

Ecuador election 2025

Noboa declared winner of Ecuador run-off, González demands recount

13-04-2025 22:56 Election authorities declare incumbent Daniel Noboa to be the winner of Ecuador's presidential run-off vote, with the 37-year-old leader defeating his leftist rival by bigger-than-expected margin; Challenger Luisa González expresses concern over fraud.

Politics: Elections 2025

First regional ballot test for Milei in Santa Fe Province

13-04-2025 09:09 Sunday's election in third-most-populous province of 2.8 million voters will pick delegates to a convention set to reform the regional constitutional assembly.

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.

A man holds a sign that reads 'Milei swindler. No to the IMF' during a protest of pensioners and union members against the government of Argentina's President Javier Milei in front of the National Congress in Buenos Aires on April 9, 2025

ARGENTINA & THE IMF

Another IMF loan: for Argentina, it’s Groundhog Day

12-04-2025 15:24 Generations of Argentines feel their country is trapped in a recurring cycle: yet another loan from the International Monetary Fund to rescue a volatile economy.

Members of the Ecuadorean Navy stand in formation before leaving to guard polling stations in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on April 12, 2025.

Ecuador election 2025

Ecuador imposes state of emergency before razor-close election

12-04-2025 14:42 On the eve of a too-close-to-call presidential run-off and reacting a dramatic rise in drug-linked violence, Ecuador declares a state of emergency in seven of its 24 provinces, including the capital.

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

A woman holds her phone next to posters plastered by political organisation La Cámpora reading 'IMF never again' on a construction site in Buenos Aires on April 11, 2025.

IMF DEBT PROGRAMME

Argentina and the International Monetary Fund: A long, tricky history

12-04-2025 09:29 Argentina, which has a track record of economic crises and hyperinflation, is already the IMF's biggest debtor, ahead even of war-torn Ukraine.

Football

Gallardo remains untouchable, but questions should be asked

12-04-2025 07:12 Almost a year after his triumphal return to the Monumental, Gallardo and River Plate cannot help but be concerned at how the team is performing.

by Dan Edwards

As I see it

Trump has China in the crosshairs

12-04-2025 05:41 The 19th century belonged to the United Kingdom, the 20th to the United States. And the 21st?

by James Neilson

Milei and Argentina caught in Trump's trade war with China.

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

Editorial

Into More Frustrations

12-04-2025 05:06 A Ruby Tuesday for President Javier Milei while the world at large is in an acute age of uncertainty thanks to Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught.

POLITICS – ANALYSIS

Milei launches new economic phase, with nod to middle class

11-04-2025 23:56 Casa Rosada expresses satisfaction as alignment with Trump bears fruit and secures an unprecedented initial disbursement from the International Monetary Fund.

Argentina's President Javier Milei announces the new agreement with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) surrounded by his Cabinet.

ECONOMIC CHANGES

Milei ends 'cepo' as IMF board approves US$20-billion bailout

11-04-2025 23:32 Milei declares "cepo is gone for good" as IMF unlocks US$12 billion in immediate funding and Argentina lifts capital controls in 48-month US$20-billion programme.

Javier Milei’s government is devaluing the Argentine peso by one percent each month using what’s known as a crawling peg.

END OF CURRENCY CONTROLS

New peso-greenback currency band could mean 23% devaluation

11-04-2025 19:09 Argentina has announced the introduction of a new exchange rate band for the peso, ranging from 1,000 to 1,400 per US dollar, following the removal of currency controls next week.