Amidst the strain of adjustment, Alberto Fernández received Martín Guzmán in Chapadmalal: paddle tennis and two-hour lecture

The President of the Nation was this weekend at the residence of Chapadmalal, 429 kilometers from the city of Buenos Aires, and from there he participated in the G20 summit, a forum whose permanent members are 19 countries from all continents plus the European Union – and organizations such as the UN, the IMF and the World Bank – and which is today the most important space for political and economic deliberation in the world.

Alberto Ángel Fernández participated in his Saturday and Sunday to participate in this appointment in a virtual way – the conclave was held in Saudi Arabia -, where he focused on the difficult situation facing the countries of Latin America due to the pandemic (“no one is saved alone on a planet that is burning, flooding or is poisoned”, he said) and bases his hope on the early arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine, where he has recounted the negotiations with different countries and underlined the relationship with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, with whom Argentina has advanced in the acquisition of several million Sputnik V, the country’s vaccine.

At the presidential residence of Chapadmalal, Alberto was accompanied by the first lady Fabiola Yañez and by the Secretary of Communication and Press Juan Pablo Biondi.

But he also received the Minister of Economy, Martín Guzmán, who also participated in the G20, at the meeting of the finance ministers and the presidents of the central banks of the G20, where he referred to the negotiations that the Argentine government is carrying out with the International Monetary Fund: “We want the program with the IMF to help restore macroeconomic stability. We are in talks with the Fund for a new program and we are working constructively,” Guzmán said.

The minister arrived with the president at the fifth presidential recess on Friday, as well as the head of state who remained with his entourage until Sunday evening.

Sunday, after the second participation in the G20, Alberto Fernández and Martín Guzmán played paddle tennis. They teamed up against two other collaborators of the president. “So I make sure I win,” said Alberto and the result was 6-0 / 6-0 / 6-2.

After the game, the two sat down to one side of the pitch to chat. They spent almost two hours chatting alone.

The conversation took place amid the government’s various economic measures, which include an adjustment of public accounts: Already this month, the IFE (Emergency Family Income) was abandoned, which has not finalized its fourth version of 10,000 pesos. Then, with the reduction of the ATP program, which has helped companies pay wages. And finally, the new formula for calculating pensions, which would imply a saving of 0.5% of GDP.

In the only conversation, they also discussed at length the negotiation with the International Monetary Fund, a deal that was postponed until February, due to political elements such as the inauguration of Joe Biden and the appointment of a new head of the US Treasury.

But this long meeting between the two, without other presences, meant the President’s support for his Minister of the Economy, at a time when he faced criticism for the adjustment and the need to “give him power” in negotiations with the IMF. Alberto had already “empowered” his official when the blue dollar was unleashed and it was over $ 190. Fernández gave him the order to act, he ran towards Miguel Pesce – head of the BCRA – and the currency fell, although it continues in an unstable up and down.

At that time, and at the same time, Cristina Kirchner broke her 10-year anger and received Martín Redrado, former head of the Central Bank for 6 years of Kirchnerism, to listen to the economic ideas of the “Golden Boy”.

This Sunday, Alberto was with his current minister Martín Guzmán and with an aside, alone for two hours, supported him for the challenges to come, which will not be easy, because the end of the year always generates social tensions due to the progress of the economy.