News of government

JPMorgan, Citi among banks in talks for Argentina pipeline loan

25-04-2025 11:14 Money would fund Vaca Muerta Sur, featuring a pipeline running from Argentina’s shale heartland across northern Patagonia to the Atlantic coast.

Pope's Argentine nephew donated tickets to travel to funeral

24-04-2025 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.

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.

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.

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.

'Chau cepo?': Argentina overhauls exchange rate access

11-04-2025 18:27 President Javier Milei’s government to lift capital and currency controls as of Monday, with exchange rate of between 1,000 and 1,4,00 per greenback; ‘Phase Three’ of economic programme will see monthly cap lifted for individuals and firms.

Milei nears US$20-billion Argentina loan as IMF staff sign off

09-04-2025 08:49 Members of the Washington-based lender’s executive board are expected to vote on the agreement Friday.

IMF confirms preliminary agreement with Argentina for US$20-billion loan

09-04-2025 08:33 Multilateral lender says it has reached a staff-level agreement with President Milei's government on a new 48-month US$20-billion programme, subject to approval by executive board.

Milei to 'surely' meet Trump on US trip, says Werthein

02-04-2025 09:03 The two leaders will receive awards for their "conservative values" during a ceremony at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Milei charged executives US$20,000 for private dinners as he ran for president

01-04-2025 11:59 Executives bought access to Argentina’s rising political star; Milei likened the dinners to the consulting work he used to do.

Towards a smarter state

29-03-2025 06:11 The libertarian government seems intent on cutting back a bloated state to its right size without having any clear idea what that size might be.

by Michael Soltys

IMF confirms Argentina has requested new US$20-billion loan programme

28-03-2025 18:10 "Progress on the new programme is very advanced and engagement continues at all levels to finalise an agreement," says IMF in a statement.

Traders bet on weaker peso as Milei’s IMF deal looms

26-03-2025 21:39 Investors see Argentina’s peso on the verge of devaluation again, but for Javier Milei, such a step could prove costly – especially ahead of midterm elections in October.

Milei blocks sale of Telefónica Argentina to Clarín’s Telecom

25-03-2025 11:02 Government explains why it has moved to halt purchase of Telefónica Argentina by Telecom; Guillermo Francos warns deal would create an oligopoly in the telecommunications sector.

Autumn is coming for Javier Milei

22-03-2025 07:41 Last week, we discussed how an electoral agreement with the governor of Chaco signalled a possible pattern. This week, Chaco Governor Leandro Zdero received a 120-billion-peso transfer from the federal government. Just don’t tell the IMF.

by Marcelo J. García

Political hegemony turning to pathetic circus

22-03-2025 07:14 Market jitters have pushed the government into a defensive posture, in which Economy Minister Luis ‘Toto’ Caputo appears to have involuntarily flamed the fans of devaluation.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

Déjà vu? Another libertarian politician promotes ‘$LIBRA’ crypto token

20-03-2025 01:03 La Libertad Avanza lawmaker José Luis Espert says his account on the X social network was “hacked”; Post promoting ‘$LIBRA V2’ token made, just weeks after President Milei pushed same scam cryptocurrency.

President Milei postpones scheduled trip to Israel

19-03-2025 23:31 Tensions in Israel and Argentina lead to suspension of President Javier Milei’s trip; Decision made as conflict rages in Middle East and protests pick up at home.

Is Donald Trump good for Argentina?

15-03-2025 07:40 Trump’s new transactional and short-term economic order overlaps with a new gangster-style and hyper-materialistic political order.

by Jorge Fontevecchia

Violence and institutional informality

15-03-2025 07:29 There are serious questions as to what happened on the streets outside Congress, but it clearly helped to distract the attention away from what was going on inside Congress and in the troubled port city of Bahía Blanca.

by Agustino Fontevecchia