News of controls

In home of Malbec, eyes turn toward idled US$5-billion potash mine

09-09-2021 14:52 Mendoza Province in talks with some of world’s top producers of potash to revive Río Colorado mine.

Cuba lays groundwork to legalise cryptocurrency transactions

30-08-2021 10:43 Communist government is trying to legalise and regulate the growing use of cryptocurrencies on the island as citizens ramp up transactions to evade state controls.

BLOOMBERG

Argentina tightens capital controls ahead of midterm elections

13-08-2021 14:11 Regulators tighten screws on so-called blue-chip operations, where investors buy assets in pesos and sell them abroad in dollars to obtain foreign currency.

BLOOMBERG

Debt rollover flops as investors eye midterms

04-08-2021 20:47 Investors sent a warning message to Argentina’s Treasury on Tuesday night – don’t expect us to finance the government’s increased spending ahead of November’s midterm elections unless interest rates go up.

BLOOMBERG

Central Bank sells dollars for first time since April

03-08-2021 14:53 Central Bank sells greenbacks for the first time in three months, amid electoral nervousness and high inflation.

'FREEDOM DAY' IN ENGLAND

England lifts Covid curbs as scientists warn of surge in cases

19-07-2021 11:21 British government lifts pandemic restrictions on daily life in England, scrapping all social distancing rules in a step slammed by scientists and opposition parties as a dangerous leap into the unknown.

Bloomberg

Argentina spawns another FX rate as government clamps down

15-07-2021 14:49 Government steps to regain control over Argentina’s chaotic currency market has led a new unofficial exchange rate to rise to prominence.

Bloomberg

Yields topping 14% lure investors to world’s best utility bond

14-07-2021 10:14 The world’s best performing utility bonds come from an unlikely corner of emerging markets – Argentina.

Bloomberg

Argentina loses emerging market status on FX controls

25-06-2021 01:55 Argentine stocks were cut from emerging market status by index provider MSCI Inc on the country’s continued capital controls.

Bloomberg

Crypto mining booms on cheap, subsidised energy in Argentina

31-05-2021 10:41 Bitcoin miners are capitalising on the inefficiencies of the country’s interventionist economy to reap outsize returns, fuelled by memories of currency busts and powered by government-subsidised electricity.

POVERTY & THE PANDEMIC

Government extends food aid to four million kids under 14

09-05-2021 09:20 President Alberto Fernández says government will extend Tarjeta Alimentar food card scheme to four million children aged under 14, with poverty on rise among youngsters.

Bloomberg

Government's plan to stabilise rents sends prices skyrocketing in BA

16-04-2021 10:58 Landlords in Buenos Aires have raised the rent on apartments more than 60% ahead of a new law that gives the government control over price increases.

BLOOMBERG

Argentina’s peso mess is delivering windfall profits to brokers

14-04-2021 15:12 In Argentina, financial markets are all but dead. From stocks to bonds to traditional foreign-exchange venues, trading volumes are razor thin. Except, that is, in one unusual corner.

BLOOMBERG - ANALYSIS

Argentina resorts to unorthodox tools to fight 40% inflation

17-03-2021 13:24 Argentina is once again turning to a combination of unconventional policy tools to curb inflation, which is expected to near 40 percent this year.

EDITORIAL

Menem: A man of his times – and ours

20-02-2021 06:08 Despite his passing, Carlos Menem’s spirit remains very much around, in both the current government and the country as a whole.

PRICE CONTROLS

Government to investigate food companies amid price clampdown

17-02-2021 14:28 Production & Development Ministry plans to investigate several food companies for not “increasing production to its highest level of installed capacity” and ensuring proper delivery.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

INDEC reveals inflation reached 36.1% in 2020

14-01-2021 19:44 Argentina registered cumulative inflation of 36.1% in 2020, with product prices rising fast in the final months of the year.

BLOOMBERG

Argentina gives Templeton, Pimco chance to trim peso holdings

09-11-2020 18:04 Argentina is giving some of its largest bondholders the chance to trim their holdings in one of the world’s worst-performing currencies, offering to swap their local peso securities for dollar-denominated assets.

FINANCIAL TURMOIL

Economy Ministry to halt Central Bank advances until end of 2020

03-11-2020 12:53 Economy Ministry says it will not ask the Central Bank for temporary advances of cash in November and December and would target local capital markets for financing instead.

IN FOCUS

Economy Ministry takes steps to relieve pressure on currency markets

21-10-2020 18:59 Economy Ministry unveils new measures designed to reduce the pressures on volatile currency markets and ward off devaluation.

BUSINESS

Currency controls hit private companies in Argentina

10-10-2020 10:11 Capital controls were already a headache for private companies, but more drastic measures obliging firms to restructure their debts has delivered an even harder blow.

Bloomberg

Government to devalue peso faster while it fights reserves drop

01-10-2020 23:09 The Central Bank will end a policy of “uniform devaluation” and allow greater volatility, according to a statement sent by the institution led by Miguel Pesce after hours Thursday.

BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS

Rout in billionaire family's bonds shows no-one trusts Argentina

25-09-2020 11:55 For all of Argentina’s assurances that a round of capital controls announced last week are only temporary, investors are making the opposite bet – and the evidence is there for all to see.

Bloomberg

Argentina yield curve inverts as forex controls spook investors

23-09-2020 16:36 Less than a month after Argentina’s US$65-billion debt restructuring, bond prices show growing concern the government may struggle to pay its obligations.

BLOOMBERG

Argentines are finding it almost impossible to purchase dollars

21-09-2020 19:28 Savers are finding it impossible to buy dollars through official channels as banks struggle to adjust to rule changes that tightened restrictions.

BLOOMBERG

Argentina’s new bonds plunge deep into distressed territory

21-09-2020 17:11 Argentina’s new dollar bonds have plunged back into distressed territory just two weeks after the nation restructured almost US$65 billion in debt.

Bloomberg

Pesce, Guzmán split over curbs on dollar purchases

17-09-2020 16:19 Argentina's economic team split on latest crackdown, as well as how long new rules should remain in place.

BLOOMBERG

YPF leads Argentina corporate bond rout on new forex limits

16-09-2020 23:27 Corporate bonds from Argentina posted their biggest decline in six months on Wednesday as a new round of capital controls and government restrictions on access to dollars threatened to provoke a wave of defaults.

Bloomberg

Argentina bonds fall with tighter foreign-exchange controls

16-09-2020 23:23 Argentine bonds fell Wednesday after the government expanded restrictions on foreign exchange in an attempt to hold onto US dollars as reserves dwindle.

CURRENCY CONTROLS

Central Bank tightens currency controls as peso weakens

16-09-2020 10:29 Central Bank tightens conditions for the purchase of foreign currency, to prevent hoarding, preserve reserves and discourage demand for US dollars.

Currency controls

Fernández hints at changes to US$200 greenback purchase quota

16-08-2020 08:01 Peronist leader says Argentina is facing high demand "from small savers," with knock-on effect for country reserves. Central Bank officials, however, say no changes are planned.

SECURITY & CRIME

Bullrich, Berni express support for ‘vigilante justice’ pensioner who killed his attacker

25-07-2020 09:53 Politicians express support for 71-year-old Quilmes retiree Jorge Adolfo Ríos, as crime and security returns to forefront of political agenda.

capital controls

Banks block accounts of those suspected of trying to circumvent dollar quota

17-07-2020 00:11 At least three of country's biggest banks have started to block dollar purchases via online platforms for clients suspected of using loopholes to purchase greenbacks beyond the US$200 limit.

GLOBAL PANDEMIC

Covid-19 hits close to home for Latin America’s political elite

11-07-2020 08:46 Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro, Bolivian interim leader Jeanine Áñez and Venezuela’s effective number two, Diosdado Cabello all test positive for coronavirus within days of each other.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Catamarca records its first case of coronavirus

04-07-2020 08:45 Governor Raúl Jalil says individual had travelled from Buenos Aires City to the northwestern province and was successfully isolated before entering the region. Until Friday, Catamarca was the only region not to have registered a case.

BLOOMBERG

Argentina would ease currency controls if debt talks are successful

29-05-2020 14:56 Central Bank leaders implemented new controls Thursday night, restricting companies’ access to the foreign exchange market to pay for obligations overseas in dollars or other currencies.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Just seven properties were sold in Buenos Aires City in April

27-05-2020 15:05 Just seven properties were sold in the capital last month amid the coronavirus lockdown – a 99.7 percent drop in comparison with the same month last year.

Food-purchase scandal

Government under fire for overpaying on food purchases

07-04-2020 17:12 Social Development Minister Daniel Arroyo asks official responsible for overpaying for foodstuffs to resign, amid fierce criticism from opposition.

Virus in Latin America

Chile, Peru close borders as Latam grounds flights over pandemic

16-03-2020 22:39 Chile and Peru announced a total closure of its borders on Monday while Latin America's largest airline announces it is reducing operations by 70 percent, as region scrambles to deal with coronavirus pandemic.

Covid-19 in LatAm

Argentina, Colombia to isolate travellers from coronavirus-hit nations

11-03-2020 12:57 Argentina and Colombia on Wednesday announced that travellers from the countries worst-affected by the new coronavirus would be isolated to protect the wider population.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

53.8%: Argentina posts the highest inflation rate in 28 years

15-01-2020 17:51 INDEC reveals prices last year increased by the highest rate since 1991, with inflation in December coming in at 3.7%.

ECONOMIC MEASURES

Kulfas praises businesses as government re-launches Precios Cuidados

08-01-2020 17:46 Government re-launches price-controls scheme with a list of 310 items, which includes "leading brand" products "at reasonable prices," according to officials.

CAPITAL CONTROLS

‘Strict’ foreign-exchange controls to stay in place, says Kulfas

05-01-2020 08:26 “In the current context, strict exchange rate regulations are inevitable,” says production minister

CURRENCY CONTROLS

Central Bank tightens 'cepo,' sets US$50 limit on cash advances abroad

31-10-2019 22:10 The move comes three days after the Central Bank sharply tightened currency exchange controls to stem a surge in capital flight.

Election 2019

Fernández meets Macri at Casa Rosada as transition of power begins

28-10-2019 12:04 Incoming president Alberto Fernández and outgoing president Mauricio Macri met this morning in the wake of Sunday night's election to plan the handover and discuss tension in the markets.

'Cepo total'

US$200 limit: Central Bank tightens currency controls in wake of election

28-10-2019 01:03 The move looks to preserve international reserves during the political transition but risks causing the black market exchange rate to skyrocket.

BLOOMBERG

Argentina's business elite are desperate to hear an economic plan

22-10-2019 14:08 Executives are resigned to the fact that Macri is going to lose the presidential election, so now they just want to know what Alberto Fernández's plan to save the economy looks like.

Bloomberg

Investors stuck in Argentina rush to local corporate bond market

11-10-2019 10:34 Foreign investors are starting to flock to Argentina’s usually sleepy local corporate-bond market, desperate to reinvest cash stuck in the country due to recently imposed capital controls.

BUENOS AIRES

Capital controls, sky-high rates crush local housing market

01-10-2019 08:56 The world’s highest interest rates and a currency that has lost 68 percent of its value since the start of 2018 has led to paralysis in Argentina’s real estate market. Home sales with a mortgage have plunged 87 percent in the province and city of Buenos Aires so far this year.

News of controls

In home of Malbec, eyes turn toward idled US$5-billion potash mine

Cuba lays groundwork to legalise cryptocurrency transactions

Argentina tightens capital controls ahead of midterm elections

Debt rollover flops as investors eye midterms

Central Bank sells dollars for first time since April

England lifts Covid curbs as scientists warn of surge in cases

Argentina spawns another FX rate as government clamps down

Yields topping 14% lure investors to world’s best utility bond

Argentina loses emerging market status on FX controls

Crypto mining booms on cheap, subsidised energy in Argentina

Government extends food aid to four million kids under 14

Government's plan to stabilise rents sends prices skyrocketing in BA

Argentina’s peso mess is delivering windfall profits to brokers

Argentina resorts to unorthodox tools to fight 40% inflation

Menem: A man of his times – and ours

Government to investigate food companies amid price clampdown

INDEC reveals inflation reached 36.1% in 2020

Argentina gives Templeton, Pimco chance to trim peso holdings

Economy Ministry to halt Central Bank advances until end of 2020

Economy Ministry takes steps to relieve pressure on currency markets

Currency controls hit private companies in Argentina

Government to devalue peso faster while it fights reserves drop

Rout in billionaire family's bonds shows no-one trusts Argentina

Argentina yield curve inverts as forex controls spook investors

Argentines are finding it almost impossible to purchase dollars

Argentina’s new bonds plunge deep into distressed territory

Pesce, Guzmán split over curbs on dollar purchases

YPF leads Argentina corporate bond rout on new forex limits

Argentina bonds fall with tighter foreign-exchange controls

Central Bank tightens currency controls as peso weakens

Fernández hints at changes to US$200 greenback purchase quota

Bullrich, Berni express support for ‘vigilante justice’ pensioner who killed his attacker

Banks block accounts of those suspected of trying to circumvent dollar quota

Covid-19 hits close to home for Latin America’s political elite

Catamarca records its first case of coronavirus

Argentina would ease currency controls if debt talks are successful

Just seven properties were sold in Buenos Aires City in April

Government under fire for overpaying on food purchases

Chile, Peru close borders as Latam grounds flights over pandemic

Argentina, Colombia to isolate travellers from coronavirus-hit nations

53.8%: Argentina posts the highest inflation rate in 28 years

Kulfas praises businesses as government re-launches Precios Cuidados

‘Strict’ foreign-exchange controls to stay in place, says Kulfas

Central Bank tightens 'cepo,' sets US$50 limit on cash advances abroad

Fernández meets Macri at Casa Rosada as transition of power begins

US$200 limit: Central Bank tightens currency controls in wake of election

Argentina's business elite are desperate to hear an economic plan

Investors stuck in Argentina rush to local corporate bond market

Capital controls, sky-high rates crush local housing market

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner declares wealth of 16.4 million pesos

Government unveils plan to ease Covid restrictions, reopen borders

Quirós: It’s not time for porteños to ‘remove their facemasks’

Pandemic gives 9/11 conspiracists fresh impetus

The beginning of the end?

Las secuelas del Covid se llevaron a nuestro compañero Mario Rodríguez Muñoz

Una diputada radical denunció que el Gobierno oculta información sobre Fabiola Yañez

Jorge Asís: "Este es un gobierno nuevo que apunta a 2023"

La curiosa moneda de 1 peso que puede llegar a valer 15 mil

Alberto Rodríguez Saá dijo que la carta de Cristina Kirchner "ultrajó la figura presidencial"