News of policy

IMF’s special drawing rights gives boost to Central Bank reserves

23-08-2021 21:42 International Monetary Fund boost of special drawing rights lifts Argentina's Central Bank reserves to highest amount in almost three years.

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.

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%.

Pause in Iran nuclear talks 'uncomfortable,' says IAEA chief Grossi

20-07-2021 11:45 Stalling of negotiations on Iranian nuclear programme until a new government takes office in Tehran puts the teams of inspectors in an "uncomfortable situation," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.

Tierra del Fuego Province bans salmon farming in open-net pens

02-07-2021 08:00 Provincial legislature in Argentina’s southernmost province unanimously approves a bill banning salmon farming in open-net pens.

Argentina slows peso devaluation in an attempt to curb inflation

01-07-2021 07:55 Policy makers see slower peso depreciation, managed by the Central Bank in a so-called 'crawling peg,' as a key tool to curb rising inflation expectations.

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.

UK failed public 'disastrously' with its Covid response, says ex-PM aide

26-05-2021 11:22 The British government "disastrously" failed the public by mishandling the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former top adviser told lawmakers on Wednesday.

Progressive climate policy can reduce extreme poverty, says study

27-04-2021 13:07 Researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have found that ambitious climate policies could reduce extreme poverty in developing countries if governments opted for robust taxes on emitters that were then fairly distributed to help the poor.

United States set to embark on campaign of ‘vaccine diplomacy’

24-04-2021 01:38 US President Joe Biden will launch a campaign to share its stock of Covid-19 vaccines "as soon as possible," to prevent China and Russia from hogging the field in Latin America.

by Leandro Dario

Bogotá to impose lockdown as Covid-19 cases rise in Colombia

06-04-2021 15:05 A third wave of coronavirus in Colombia has led to a tightening of sanitary policies, including the implementation of a three-day lockdown in the capital Bogotá over the weekend.

Wealth tax: inequality solution for Latin America?

19-02-2021 12:52 The income chasm between the rich and poor in Latin America has led to efforts to tax the wealthy – though the reception has been uneven across various countries.

Biden’s three priorities for South America

23-01-2021 08:39 Newly inaugurated US president’s foreign policy will have three main fronts in South America: environmental protection, the crisis in Venezuela and countering the growing influence of China. Negotiations with the International Monetary Fund will be the first bilateral test for Alberto Fernández.

by Leandro Dario

Biden to unveil sweeping post-inauguration immigration reforms

19-01-2021 22:58 US President-elect Joe Biden will roll back Donald Trump's tough approach to undocumented immigrants in sweeping reforms to be introduced on his first day in office, Biden's Homeland Security Department nominee said Tuesday.

Biden heralds shift in Washington's strategy toward Venezuela

15-11-2020 08:03 Democratic leader's arrival in the White House could help pave the way for a political solution to crisis in Venezuela, with use of sanctions against social administration in Caracas likely to be more targeted.

Biden faces tall order reviving Washington's global role

14-11-2020 10:49 US President-elect Joe Biden has vowed to restore America’s moral authority in the world but after four years of norms-shattering by Donald Trump, he will have his work cut out for him.

Latin America watches on as United States heads to the polls

31-10-2020 10:36 With the region facing unprecedented economic and health concerns, as well as the issue of China’s increasing presence, Tuesday’s election could set the tone for the next phase of US-Latin America relations.

by Jennifer Heiman & Anina Hoffman

Ties that bind or blind: a brief history of US-Argentine relations

31-10-2020 10:31 Formal bilateral ties date back to January 27, 1823 – predating the Monroe Doctrine by over 10 months and long before Argentina was called Argentina.

by Michael Soltys

Argentina’s currency woes show no sign of easing

10-10-2020 08:31 Argentina’s hodge podge exchange rate regime is running out of steam.

Central Bank moves to unify interest rates

09-10-2020 11:27 Central Bank is taking steps to tighten its monetary policy and encourage banks to buy local peso assets.