Despite victorious announcements from President Javier Milei's government, industrial activity in Argentina fell for the tenth consecutive month amid a growing loss of purchasing power. Interannually, a 17.2% drop was recorded after March's 4.7% decline. In addition, the first quarter of 2024 showed a year-on-year 11.7% slide.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spokeswoman Julie Kozack said that Argentina needed to lift the exchange rate ceiling if the government were to protect the country's Central Bank reserves. Kozack's remarks during a press conference came a day after Economy Minister Luis Toto Caputo announced that the South American nation was on course to dollarization.
Argentine Economy Minister Luis 'Toto' Caputo said Wednesday that the Libertarian administration of President Javier Milei had that the Government has “everything ready for dollarization.” The “recovery is very close,” he added as the “blue” (a euphemism for “black market”) dollar bounced back after it became evident that the government would be unable to deliver on Milei's promise to have an agreement signed with the provincial governors by May 25.
Argentine President Javier Milei became overtly extrovert on social media Tuesday after the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec) announced that April's monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) had stood at 8.8%. “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL...!!!!,” he wrote in football-fan mode. Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni said inflation had “its death certificate signed.”
A Buenos Aires court Monday validated a plea agreement with the prosecution whereby the man who threw a bottle at President Javier Milei's motorcade on inauguration day has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. In the incident, the perpetrator nearly missed the head of state's head and hit a security guard instead.
Argentina's Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni said in an interview with Montevideo's El País that Presidents Luis Lacalle Pou and Javier Milei had different points of view regarding the State's role in each country's economy. The official also addressed the delay in materializing an encounter between both heads of state despite the short geographical distance separating them.
Inflation outpaced salaries in March by 11% to 10.3%, according to a report by Argentina's National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec) released Friday in Buenos Aires. In yoy terms, the Wage Index increased by 200.8% on average (231.7% in the registered private sector, 183.7% in the public sector, and 129.2% in the informal private sector) and inflation was 287.9%, the survey showed. Hence, President Javier Milei's perception that salaries were recovering turned out inaccurate.
After Thursday's general strike, Argentina's General Labor Confederation (CGT) said the measure should be as a “wake-up call to the authorities” who “must take note” of the scenario ahead. CGT co-leader Héctor Daer also mentioned that “we take note of the support” of the workers who have suffered a hefty wage reduction since President Javier Milei took office on Dec. 10, 2023.
During his appearance at a Holocaust Remembrance event in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, Argentine President Javier Milei ratified his allegiance to Israel and insisted that “in a battle between good and evil, taking sides is a moral obligation.” The Argentine leader also noted that while some countries “turn their backs on Israel”, Argentina will be “by its side, always firm.”
The Libertarian administration of President Javier Milei is going through the second general strike called for by the opposition General Labor Confederation (CGT) since it took office on Dec. 10, last year. The first such protest was staged on Jan. 24 with little success because at that time people were either on holiday or still enjoying their half-year bonuses that cushioned the predatory effects of Milei's measures on people's incomes.