MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Plea for Argentina

Mercosur Congressional representatives requested an “urgent definition” from the International Monetary Fund, IMF, regarding financial support for beleaguered Argentina.

The Argentine situation seriously conditions the "continuity of the country and the region" points out a document delivered to the head of the IMF mission working in Buenos Aires, Mr. Anoop Singh, who met with Congress representatives from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. The document also points out that none of the political groups that supports Argentine President Eduardo Duhalde's government is prepared to admit further cuts in social expenditure. Argentine Senator Raúl Alfonsín, and one of the IMF's harshest critics was among the group of legislators that met Mr. Singh, who was described as a "very charming person". The document from the Mercosur Parliamentarian Standing Committee indicates that poverty in Argentina is rapidly increasing under "the current social, economic and financial crisis". Mr. Singh described the meeting as "historic and very positive", adding that the IMF in no way is conditioning financial aid to cuts in social expenditure.