Second wave of infections aggravates social and political conflict
The decision of the Economic Minister in February to slow the pace of devaluation on the official exchange market in order to reduce the rate of inflation has failed so far. Actually, in March the rate of inflation jumped to 4.8% from 3.6%, and some early indicators show that it is not falling in April. This does not help in his endeavor to negotiate a new program with the IMF and re-profile the obligations with the Paris Club. But even worse than the bad news on the inflationary front is the aggravation of the social and political conflicts that have emerged as a consequence of the aggravation of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before this, discussions and confrontations between the government and the opposition focused on the attacks on the Courts and on the procurement and allocation of vaccines. The Vice President and her close aides had been pushing hard to remove prosecutors and judges that had prosecuted her and her aides on corruption charges, and these attacks infuriated the opposition and nonpartisan citizens.
But after President Alberto Fernandez announced new restrictions on mobility that include a curfew from 8pm to 6am and the suspension of in-person classes in all educational institutions as a response to the worsening of the pandemic, the discussions and confrontations in the political arena and the media have become nastier, and the possibility of any political cooperation and consensus in facing the economic crisis has evaporated.
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