New York district judge Thomas Griesa and the Argentine government are again on the collision course: while the magistrate has ordered the Bank of New York Mellon to retain the funds deposited by Argentina to pay exchange bondholders and declaring the payment “illegal”, the Ministry of Economy in Buenos Aires suggested bondholder should change BONY for a new intermediary institution.
The Argentine Government will formally demand that Citibank and the Bank of New York Mellon pay exchange bondholders, the Economy Ministry informed on Tuesday in a press release.
The following article by Peter Eavis and Alexandra Stevenson was published in The New York Times and addresses the current litigation between Argentina and the speculative funds. The hedge fund firm of billionaire Paul E. Singer has about 300 employees, yet it has managed to force Argentina, a nation of 41 million people, into a position where it now has to contemplate a humbling surrender.
The leading Brazilian newspapers blasted Argentine president Cristina Fernandez as the sole responsible for the 'default event' which followed the failure of negotiations with holdouts in New York. This despite the fact Brazilian economy minister Guido Mantega denied Argentina was in default and strongly supported the Argentine government.
Kevin Sullivan, US interim ambassador in Argentina affirmed on Thursday that the country must seek “practical solutions” with the 'holdouts' or the so called vulture funds over defaulted bonds.
Argentina's Economy Minister Axel Kicillof denied point blank that Argentina defaulted on its debt and described such statement as an atomic nonsense. The minister gave a press conference in Buenos Aires a day after the failed negotiations with holdouts in New York and claimed ”those who today cheer the apocalypse, applauded the 2001 (crisis).”
After negotiations between the Argentine government and the speculative funds, led by US Special Master Daniel Pollack failed, New York District Judge Thomas Griesa called for a new hearing between the parties for Friday at 12 pm (Argentina time).
Argentina failed to strike a deal to avert its second default in more than 12 years after talks with holdout creditors and special mediator Daniel Pollack ended without a settlement on Wednesday.
The meeting between Argentine private bank representatives and the 'holdouts' over the debt held by the hedge funds has been adjourned and will be resumed on Thursday, according to Buenos Aires financial daily Ambito.com.
“Unfortunately no agreement was reached and Argentina will imminently be in default”, admitted Daniel A. Pollack, the Special Master appointed by Judge Thomas P. Griesa to conduct and preside over settlement negotiations between Argentina and its holdout bondholders. Pollack emphasized that with default “the ordinary Argentine citizen will be the real and ultimate victim”.