On June 1, 2020, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted “Argentina: Between Covid-19 and Default,” a webinar featuring Maria Victoria Murillo, Alfonso Prat-Gay, and Rodrigo Zarazaga. Michael Shifter moderated the event. The discussion focused on the political, economic, and social dimensions of the current situation in Argentina as the country has found itself in the middle of both a global pandemic and a massive debt negotiation.
What are the major sticking points keeping Argentina and its international creditors from reaching a deal, and what needs to happen for the country to avoid a default on May 22?
El titular de una de las instituciones más antiguas de Washington habló con Infobae. Considera que Alberto Fernández tuvo una reacción “rápida y admirable” ante el coronavirus, pero alertó que la Argentina está frente a “una enorme crisis económica” y que la región corre el riesgo de que la emergencia erosione las instituciones democráticas.
Cristina Fernandez’s power and influence make it difficult for Alberto Fernandez to present a vision that can set Argentina on a stable path of reforms in order to avoid constant crises and debt defaults.
Bruno Binetti
Articles & Op-Eds ˙
˙ World Politics Review
What is the political outlook in Latin America? Will Brazil’s Congress continue to govern independent of the erratic, but somewhat business-friendly President Jair Bolsonaro? Will Mexico’s nationalist-leftist president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (popularly known as AMLO) try to extend his power? Will Argentina’s new president Alberto Fernandez govern independently of his vice president Cristina Kirchner? Will Colombia become a new Chile in terms of riots? What will happen in Chile this year? And will Peru be able to return to political stability? Michael Shifter discussed in this interview with Latinvex.
Michael Shifter, Christopher Sabatini , Joachim Bamrud
Michael Shifter fue invitado a ‘Cuestión de Poder’ de NTN24, donde comentó sobre las declaraciones de Evo Morales en Argentina, las próximas elecciones bolivianas, y el rol de Alberto Fernández en la inflación argentina.
On December 10, 2019, the Inter-American Dialogue, hosted an event titled “New Leadership in Argentina & Bolsonaro’s First Year.” The panelists were Matias Spektor, Rut Diamint, Bruno Binetti, and Monica de Bolle. Rafael Mathus, correspondent for La Nación, moderated the event.
La 32ª reunión del Grupo de Trabajo sobre América Latina (LAWG por sus siglas en inglés) tuvo lugar el 9 de diciembre en Washington, DC. En esta reunión, el grupo prestó especial atención a los disturbios y protestas que se vieron en la región en 2019.
Lisa Viscidi, director of the Energy Program, spoke about the production of natural gas in Argentina and the fuel’s role in the country’s energy transition on a panel organized by the Organization of American States’ Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas on December 13.
Lisa Viscidi
Presentations ˙
˙ Organization of American States
In a country used to having strong leaders, Alberto Fernández’s dependency on his still-popular but polarizing vice president could weaken him politically. Sooner or later, this contradiction will need to be resolved, and one of the two Fernandezes will be left standing.
Bruno Binetti
Articles & Op-Eds ˙
˙ World Politics Review
Voters in Argentina elect a new leader and a familiar face as his deputy. Bruno Binetti, non-resident research fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue, spoke with Hazem Sika of Al Jazeera about the Fernandez-Fernandez victory in Argentina. Binetti weighed in on Macri’s shortcomings, implications for the Argentine economy, and political trends in South America.
Each subsequent crisis makes it more difficult for the government to reform the economy without provoking a major social disruption. To escape its never-ending cycle of crises, however, the next president will have to do more than reform the economy; he will have to win back the trust of voters who have grown to expect the worst from their leaders.