
Argentina's economy minister and central bank governor came out strongly to warn the “devaluation club” and speculators in the foreign exchange market who allegedly are pushing the value of the US dollar and sinking the local Peso.

The Social Observatory from the Argentine Catholic University, UCA, has reported that poverty in Argentina during 2014, included 28,7% of the population, which is equivalent to 11.5 million people, and higher than in the previous report.

Argentina announced that the United States APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) has allowed fresh beef imports from Argentina, lifting a 15-year ban which Buenos Aires had always considered 'unjustified' and bluntly 'protectionist' and as such had claimed before the WTO. In the same vein Argentina also anticipated it expected a similar decision from the US regarding Argentine lemons.

Argentine Economy Minister Axel Kicillof speaking from Moscow said ties between Buenos Aires and Russia were “a fact, not a wish” praising the bilateral “natural understanding” and “complementation”, achieved by the two partners in economic, energy and trade affairs.

Ford Argentina announced investments in the country for some 220 million dollars following a meeting between President Cristina Fernández and local and regional executives from the US corporation.

President Cristina Fernandez has questioned accusations against Economy Minister Axel Kicillof over his alleged YPF monthly salary of 400.000 Argentine Pesos (approx 35.000 dollars).

Argentina has launched a stinging attack on hedge funds attempting to block payment on last month's Bonar 24 debt issuance, stating that the petition shows the 'vulture funds' desperation following the successful auction.

Economy Minister Axel Kicillof confirmed the Argentine government will be filing a complaint against speculative or 'vulture' funds for seeking to seize the accounts of the Argentine embassy in Belgium, and the Argentine mission before the EU in Brussels, adding hedge funds are the most “despicable and repugnant” of the world financial system.

The Argentine government in a late release on Thursday strongly denied an 'inexact information' related to alleged embargos by speculative funds (or vulture funds) on bank accounts from the Argentine embassy and its staff, in Belgium, and said that the attempts to freeze 'embassy funds' are but a new extortion attempt and a clear procedure abuse which could be sanctioned by Belgian tribunals.

Economic activity in Argentina expanded 1.4% in February compared to the same month last year, boosted by the agricultural sector and a hike in consumption, making it the highest increase since January 2014, according to the latest release from the country's stats office, Indec.