The International Monetary Fund said it will stand by Argentina after the government authorized currency controls on Sunday in an about-face by President Mauricio Macri, who had previously lifted many protectionist practices of his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Argentine President Mauricio Macri said that monthly inflation would accelerate to 3% in August following a slump in the peso, as the central bank intervened heavily in the market on Tuesday to prop up the local currency.
It happened in 1989. It happened in 2002. Argentines who are old enough to remember do not want to go through it again.
Mauricio Macri’s Government must guarantee that with the new disbursement in favor of Argentina for USD 5.4 billion that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will sign this Friday will comply with all the deadlines agreed for this year. This new disbursement is given after the approval of the quarterly goals to March by the technical staff of the fund.
Argentina’s embattled peso currency gained briefly against the dollar on Tuesday after the central bank announced measures aimed at controlling volatility of the currency amid a grinding recession.
Argentina’s embattled peso gained strength on Monday after the central bank said it would ease limits on its foreign exchange market interventions, signaling its willingness to sell reserves in an effort to better control the volatility of the local currency. The peso began the session up 3.37% and closed 3.56% stronger at 44.37 per U.S. dollar.
Argentina lived on Thursday another day in which the dollar rebounded and the country risk exceeded 1000 points. President Mauricio Macri criticized the short-term view of the markets and the Central Bank (BCRA) had to intervene by positioning the interest rate at 70% and diverting the futures market to contain the demand on the currency, preventing it from reaching the maximum accorded of 51.45 pesos.
Argentina sold US$ 60 million in the foreign exchange market on Monday, traders said, marking the start of peso-buying program approved by the International Monetary Fund and aimed at bolstering government finances.
In Uruguay, the dollar traded at noon on the state bank Banco Republica (Brou) board at $ 33.20 for the purchase and $ 34.60 for the sale, 45 cents above the close price on Tuesday. On the board of private exchanges, the currency to the public came to sell at $ 34.80 and $ 34.90.
Argentina’s central bank has sufficient dollar firepower to deal with a spike in demand for the greenback if uncertainty over the country’s upcoming presidential election prompts another run on the peso, bank sources said on Friday.