back

 Angry Argentines Burn U.S. Flags


 By: The Associated Press
The Washington Post, April 8, 2002

 

Buenos Aires, Argentina –– Dozens of demonstrators angry over the International Monetary Fund's response to Argentina's economic crisis burned American flags and blocked a major highway Monday as a top International Monetary Fund official arrived for a new round of talks.

Some 50 protesters, many from leftist groups, waved flags and sang Argentina's national anthem at the Buenos Aires international airport after IMF special operations director Anoop Singh arrived for a 10-day visit.

The group later resumed their protest inside the downtown hotel where Singh is staying, banging drums and chanting "Get out IMF!"

Hoping to tame Argentina's worst economic crisis in decades, the government of President Eduardo Duhalde is seeking $25 billion in bailout funds to jump-start the flagging economy and shore up a teetering bank system that bordered on collapse last December. The IMF demanded a credible recovery plan and deeper spending cuts as conditions for renewing aid.

An IMF mission is in Buenos Aires poring over Argentina's financial books and is expected to remain here for the next 10 days.

Analysts say they expect the IMF to decide whether it will resume lending at its annual meeting in Washington later this month.


FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Action on Aging distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.