Political confrontation in Argentina amid economic crisis

The resignation of the Minister of Economy, Martín Guzmán, cornered by the serious economic crisis and the lack of a serious plan to save the country’s finances, triggered a very difficult week for Argentines and deepened the underlying problems, with inflation that is already it reaches 58%, unemployment of 40%, poverty of 52%, instability and growth in the value of the dollar, lack of reference prices and an increase in all products, but especially food.

Despite everything, the new Economy Minister, Silvina Batakis, was confident and said that they will continue with the government’s course.

“We are convinced that Argentina’s course has to do with the fiscal management of our accounts and following the economic program that the President has been setting. Getting Argentina to have more exports and revalue our currency, and that is achieved through obtaining more reserves We want to have a more federal look that includes everyone,” Batakis said.

The strong differences in criteria and internal politics between Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and President Alberto Fernández show that power and control are not in the hands of the president and increase uncertainty.

For this reason, the president of the Investment Bank, José Ignacio de Mandiguren, demanded a great political agreement.

“Inflation is a serious issue that neither a government nor a minister is going to solve. There has to be an agreement, where the opposition has to participate, because we cannot stop seeing what happens with inflation in the world. We have great instability and we enter the post-pandemic with 54% inflation. Today people are very bad and try to cover themselves as best they can. We have to get out of this zone of super crisis and this corresponds to us as politicians, businessmen, trade unionists,” said the president of the Investment Bank.

The situation is serious and we must be honest, insisted the opposition deputy and former Minister of Economy Martín Losteau.

“Kirchnerism told itself a story. And it is that they seized a country that was overwhelmed, in crisis, that was not growing and that despite this, they took it to splendor. But when you look at the numbers, that’s not true,” Losteau said.

In the streets, the uncertainty is total and the polls show that the government could receive a serious blow in the presidential elections of 2023, where the opposition could regain power.

As if that were not enough, in the last few hours, the Minister of Social Development did not reach an agreement with the piquetero social organizations that dominate millions of poor and unemployed people, who insist on receiving more state aid. For this reason, they promised to return to the massive demonstrations and protests in the streets throughout the country in the coming weeks.

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