BUENOS AIRES _ Argentina's Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne resigned on Saturday, days after President Mauricio Macri suffered a heavy setback in primary elections sending the peso into a nose drive.

In a letter to Macri published by newspaper Clarin, Dujovne said "circumstances" required a "significant renewal in the economic area."

Dujovne, who took the post in 2017 and led bailout negotiations with the International Monetary Fund last year, said that much was accomplished in terms of taming the deficit and trimming public spending, but "without a doubt mistakes were made."

According to Clarin, Dujovne will be replaced by Buenos Aires province Economy Minister Hernan Lacunza.

The minister's resignation comes three days after Macri announced a package of tax cuts and other economic relief measures for workers and companies following a surprise defeat in primaries on Sunday.

Macri took only 32% of the vote, against nearly 48% for opposition candidate Alberto Fernandez. The primaries, which whittled down the number of presidential candidates, were considered an important indicator of public opinion before the presidential elections on Oct. 27.

The defeat, attributed largely to Macri's austerity policies and Argentina's economic difficulties, sent the peso into a nose drive amid fears among investors that a Fernandez presidency could see protectionist policies implemented.

The South American country is in a recession, urban poverty remains high, inflation is running in the double digits and unemployment stood at 10% in the first quarter.

PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194):ARGENTINA-TREASURY-RESIGN </s> BRASÍLIA—U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross laid out a plan including credit and investment to help rebuild Venezuela’s economy under democratic rule, as Washington pushes for new leadership in the struggling nation.

The American plan is contingent on the removal of Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, President Nicolás Maduro, and his replacement with Juan Guaidó, leader of a fractious opposition supported by the U.S. and other countries.

... </s> FILE - In this April 17, 2019 file photo, Argentina's Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne speaks during a press conference at Quinta de Olivos, in greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dujovne announced on Saturday, Aug. 17, that he is quitting his post in the government of President Mauricio Macri. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's treasury minister, Nicolás Dujovne, resigned Saturday and will be replaced by the economy minister of the country's most populous state, a senior official in the presidential office said.

The resignation came three days after President Nicolas Macri announced his conservative administration is temporarily increasing the minimum wage, reducing payroll taxes and implementing other steps to help Argentine workers as the country struggles to overcome sizzling inflation, high unemployment and other economic problems.

Macri acted after a leftist presidential slate that includes his predecessor, Cristina Fernández, turned in a powerful showing last Sunday in primary voting for candidates going into October general elections. Macri's slate did poorly, and the already weak Argentine peso slumped and stock prices fell sharply as investors reacted in worry about the vote results.

In his resignation letter, Dujovne reportedly says the government needs to make "a significant overhaul in the economic area." He says the administration made strides in reducing the government's deficit and reducing taxes, but adds that "we undoubtedly made mistakes."

The presidency official, who agreed to confirm the resignation only if not quoted by name, said Dujovne would be replaced by Hernán Lacunza, the economy minister for Buenos Aires province. Lacunza previously was general manager of the Central Bank. </s> Millionaires, construction and finance companies are among the primary donors supporting the Argentine President Mauricio Macri coalition reelection campaign.

Legislation enacted just two months ahead of the Simultaneous and Mandatory Open Primary Elections (STEP) has opened the floor for sponsoring opportunities from legal, privately-owned entities.

The new law, a first for Argentina, came just in time for the primary elections and allows private donations of up to 4.5 million pesos. Lawmakers say it is among several legislations being introduced for transparency, by which it can avoid the scandals experienced during the Buenos Aires elections in 2015 and 2017.

However, as the elections near a close, data shows Macri’s Buenos Aires governmental representative Maria Eugenia Vidal’s campaign’s winnings amount to around ARS$6 million (US$134,820), gained by affluent admirers of the Argentine President Mauricio Macri coalition, Together for Change (Cambiemos.)

Among the most generous are Maxinta SA, a currency exchange company in the city; Jorge Milne, former bank president of the Banco Patagonia; Daniel Diego Van Lierde, president of the mining company Caleras San Juan.

So far, no formal complaints about irregularities with campaign contributions has been filed as of yet, although — with nine days left in the race, critics believe it could still transpire. According to statistics, only one percent of donations are formally reported to authorities, Pagina 12 said. The rest are usually left undeclared. </s> BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Facing widespread discontent over austerity measures and low growth, Argentine President Mauricio Macri was snubbed by voters who appeared to hand a resounding primary victory to a ticket with his predecessor, Cristina Fernández.

The preliminary results from Sunday's voting suggest the conservative Macri will face an uphill battle going into general elections in October, marking a sharp turnaround from just under four years ago when the country's left-leaning era appeared to be coming to a definitive end.

With 88% of polling stations tallied early Monday, official results gave the presidential slate headed by Alberto Fernández and his vice presidential running mate, Cristina Fernández, about 47% of the votes. Macri and his running mate, Miguel Ángel Pichetto, had 32% — a wide margin that revealed the considerable depth of Macri's weakness, potentially positioning the Fernández team to win in the first round of voting Oct. 27.

To be elected president in the first round, candidates need to finish with at least 45% of the votes or have 40% and a greater than 10-point advantage over the nearest rival. If no candidate wins outright in October, there will be a November runoff.

"We've had a bad election and that obligates us to redouble our efforts so that in October we will continue with change," Macri said in a late night address. "I think it is very important a dialogue continues in this country, and that we continue explaining to the world what it is we want."

Former Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna trailed far behind the two front-running slates with 8.4% of the votes, which is still potentially enough support to give him a kingmaker role in the fall. Six other presidential slates also were up for elections in the primaries, but parties that got less than 1.5% of the overall votes cast won't appear on the October ballot.

The pro-business Macri has the support of financial markets and Washington, but has lost popularity amid a deep economic crisis which drove the inflation rate to nearly 50% last year and slashed Argentines' purchasing power. He says he is taking the necessary, painful steps to get the economy going after 12 years of leftist populism under Cristina Fernández and her predecessor and late husband, Nestor Kirchner.

But the electorate issued a resounding rejection of his handling of the economic situation — and a recent lending package from the International Monetary Fund that totaled upward of $55 billion. Most Argentines blame the IMF for encouraging policies that led to the country's worst economic crisis in 2001, which resulted in one of every five Argentines being unemployed and millions sliding into poverty.

"It's clear that Macri's weakest point is the management of the economy, despite the fact that it has improved in the last three months," said Mariel Fornoni, director of the political consultancy Management & Fit.

The Fernández ticket, whose two members are not related, contends Macri must be defeated so they can fight the poverty and homelessness that they blame on his policies.

"We always fixed problems that others generated. We are going to do it once again," said Alberto Fernández, who was Cristina Fernández's chief of staff during her initial term in 2007-2011.

Cristina Fernández is currently facing a series of trials for corruption during her 2007-2015 administration. She denies the allegations.

In a recorded message from the southern province of Santa Cruz, she said Sunday's results made her Frente de Todos party "happy and optimistic."

"But not only because we won an election — this is not a soccer game. Many Argentines understood and understand that things must change in the Republic of Argentina because as we are not living well, we are not OK," she said.

The possibility that Cristina Fernández could return to power put markets on edge. Matías Carugati, chief economist for Management & Fit, said the victory of the Fernández team would put new, "sustained" pressure on the exchange rate and stocks due to the prospect that the South American's recent free, less state interventionist course could be reversed.

Macri's election in 2015 marked the first time in a more than a decade that Argentina's center-right opposition successfully unseated the center-left Peronist movement to which Cristina Fernández belongs.

At the time, his victory appeared to signal a clear end to his rival's rule, but he conceded that Sunday's results put him on the defensive.

"This is an election where Argentina has to determine whether it continues on a path of transformation, of deepening democracy, of insertion into the world, of improvement and development — or returns to an authoritarian populist model that has failed in all places where it has been implemented," he said. </s> Presidential candidate Alberto Fernandez addresses supporters at the “Frente de Todos” party headquarters after primary elections in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. The “Frente de Todos” presidential ticket with former President Cristina Fernández emerged as the strongest vote-getter in Argentina’s primary elections Sunday, indicating conservative President Mauricio Macri will face an uphill battle going into general elections in October. (AP Photo/Sebastian Pani)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentine stocks and currency plummeted on Monday after Argentine President Mauricio Macri was snubbed by voters who appeared to hand a resounding primary victory to a populist ticket with his predecessor, Cristina Fernández.

The preliminary results from Sunday’s voting suggest the conservative Macri will face an uphill battle going into general elections in October and gives the populists who governed Argentina and butted heads with investors for most of the past two decades a strong chance of returning to power.

The result stunned financial markets which remember Cristina Fernández’s 2007-2015 government when she nationalized Spanish oil company Repsol’s stake in local company YPF, took over the private pension system and intervened heavily in the economy with exports restrictions and currency controls.

About a third of the Argentine companies that trade in U.S. markets lost half of their value Monday, but losses were extreme across the board with the Merval index dropping by 35% in mid-afternoon trading.

With 99% of polling stations tallied early Monday, official results gave the presidential slate headed by Alberto Fernández and his vice presidential running mate, Cristina Fernández, about 48% of the votes in a primary vote featuring 10 candidates. Macri and his running mate, Miguel Ángel Pichetto, had 32% — a wide margin that revealed the depth of Macri’s weakness, potentially positioning the Fernández team to win in the first round of a general election voting on Oct. 27.

To be elected president in the first round, candidates need to finish with at least 45% of the votes or have 40% and a greater than 10-point advantage over the nearest rival. If no candidate wins outright in October, there will be a November runoff.

“We’ve had a bad election and that obliges us to redouble our efforts so that in October we will continue with change,” Macri said in a late-night address. “I think it is very important a dialogue continues in this country, and that we continue explaining to the world what it is we want.”

Former Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna trailed far behind the two front-running slates with 8.4% of the votes, which is still potentially enough support to give him a kingmaker role in the fall.

The election functioned largely as a poll for the October vote. All of the parties already had their candidates chosen and the only practical result was to eliminate a few minor parties that got less than 1.5% of the overall votes from upcoming general election.

The pro-business Macri has the support of financial markets and Washington, but lost popularity amid a deep economic crisis that drove the inflation rate to nearly 50% last year. He says he is taking the necessary, painful steps to get the economy going after 12 years of leftist populism under Cristina Fernández and her predecessor and late husband, Nestor Kirchner.

But his pleas for patience while his economic reforms take affect fell on largely deaf ears as Argentines battle rising poverty and high inflation. A recent lending package from the International Monetary Fund that totaled upward of $55 billion was unpopular. Most Argentines blame the IMF for encouraging policies that led to the country’s worst economic crisis in 2001.

“It’s clear that Macri’s weakest point is the management of the economy, despite the fact that it has improved in the last three months,” said Mariel Fornoni, director of the political consultancy Management & Fit.

The Fernández ticket, whose two members are not related, contends Macri must be defeated so they can fight rising poverty and homelessness.

Alberto Fernández, who was Cristina Fernández’s chief of staff during her initial term in 2007-2011, expressed satisfaction with Sunday’s result and blamed Macri for the current market unrest.

“The markets are uneasy because of the situation created by this government,” Alberto Fernández told Radio 10. “All Argentines will accompany this effort but it is his responsibility.”

Cristina Fernández is currently facing a series of trials for corruption during her 2007-2015 administration. She denies the allegations.

In a recorded message from the southern province of Santa Cruz, she said Sunday’s results made her Frente de Todos — Front of All — party “happy and optimistic.”

“But not only because we won an election. This is not a soccer game. Many Argentines understood and understand that things must change in the Republic of Argentina because as we are not living well, we are not OK,” she said.

The possibility that Cristina Fernández could return to power – if only as vice president – stunned markets.

Grupo Financiero Galicia, a century-old financial services company in Buenos Aires with a market capitalization of $2.5 billion, plunged 60%. All banks were hit hard, but so were companies that do construction or provide infrastructure services.

The value of Loma Negra, an industrial services company that makes cement and provides railroad transportation services, tumbled 60% as well. More than 40% of the existing worth of the energy company Transportadora de Gas del Sur disappeared.

Matías Carugati, chief economist for Management & Fit, said the victory of the Fernández team would put “sustained” pressure on the exchange rate and stocks due to the prospect that the South American’s recent less state-interventionist course could be reversed.

Macri’s election in 2015 marked the first time in a more than a decade that Argentina’s center-right opposition had unseated the center-left Peronist movement to which Cristina Fernández belongs.

At the time, his victory appeared to signal an end to his rival’s rule, but he conceded that Sunday’s results put him on the defensive.

“This is an election where Argentina has to determine whether it continues on a path of transformation, of deepening democracy, of insertion into the world, of improvement and development — or returns to an authoritarian populist model that has failed in all places where it has been implemented,” he said. </s> Presidential candidate Alberto Fernandez addresses supporters at the “Frente de Todos” party headquarters after primary elections in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019. The “Frente de Todos” presidential ticket with former President Cristina Fernández emerged as the strongest vote-getter in Argentina’s primary elections Sunday, indicating conservative President Mauricio Macri will face an uphill battle going into general elections in October. (AP Photo/Sebastian Pani)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentine stocks and currency plummeted on Monday after Argentine President Mauricio Macri was snubbed by voters who appeared to hand a resounding primary victory to a populist ticket with his predecessor, Cristina Fernández.

The preliminary results from Sunday’s voting suggest the conservative Macri will face an uphill battle going into general elections in October and gives the populists who governed Argentina for most of the past two decades a strong chance of returning to power.

About a third of the Argentinian companies that trade in U.S. markets lost half of their value Monday, but losses were extreme across the board.

With 88% of polling stations tallied early Monday, official results gave the presidential slate headed by Alberto Fernández and his vice presidential running mate, Cristina Fernández, about 47% of the votes in a primary vote featuring 10 candidates. Macri and his running mate, Miguel Ángel Pichetto, had 32% — a wide margin that revealed the considerable depth of Macri’s weakness, potentially positioning the Fernández team to win in the first round of a general election voting on Oct. 27.

To be elected president in the first round, candidates need to finish with at least 45% of the votes or have 40% and a greater than 10-point advantage over the nearest rival. If no candidate wins outright in October, there will be a November runoff.

“We’ve had a bad election and that obligates us to redouble our efforts so that in October we will continue with change,” Macri said in a late-night address. “I think it is very important a dialogue continues in this country, and that we continue explaining to the world what it is we want.”

Former Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna trailed far behind the two front-running slates with 8.4% of the votes, which is still potentially enough support to give him a kingmaker role in the fall.

The election functioned largely as a poll for the October vote. All of the parties already had their candidates chosen and the only practical result was to eliminate a few minor parties that got less than 1.5% of the overall votes from upcoming general election.

The pro-business Macri has the support of financial markets and Washington, but has lost popularity amid a deep economic crisis that drove the inflation rate to nearly 50% last year and slashed Argentines’ purchasing power. He says he is taking the necessary, painful steps to get the economy going after 12 years of leftist populism under Cristina Fernández and her predecessor and late husband, Nestor Kirchner.

But the electorate issued a resounding rejection of his handling of the economic situation — and a recent lending package from the International Monetary Fund that totaled upward of $55 billion. Most Argentines blame the IMF for encouraging policies that led to the country’s worst economic crisis in 2001, which resulted in one of every five Argentines being unemployed and millions sliding into poverty.

“It’s clear that Macri’s weakest point is the management of the economy, despite the fact that it has improved in the last three months,” said Mariel Fornoni, director of the political consultancy Management & Fit.

The Fernández ticket, whose two members are not related, contends Macri must be defeated so they can fight the poverty and homelessness that they blame on his policies.

“We always fixed problems that others generated. We are going to do it once again,” said Alberto Fernández, who was Cristina Fernández’s chief of staff during her initial term in 2007-2011.

Cristina Fernández is currently facing a series of trials for corruption during her 2007-2015 administration. She denies the allegations.

In a recorded message from the southern province of Santa Cruz, she said Sunday’s results made her Frente de Todos — Front of All — party “happy and optimistic.”

“But not only because we won an election — This is not a soccer game. Many Argentines understood and understand that things must change in the Republic of Argentina because as we are not living well, we are not OK,” she said.

The possibility that Cristina Fernández could return to power stunned markets.

Grupo Financiero Galicia, a century-old financial services company in Buenos Aires with a market capitalization of $2.5 billion, plunged 60%. All banks were hit hard, but so were companies that do construction or provide vital infrastructure services.

The value of Loma Negra, an industrial services company that makes cement and provides railroad transportation services, tumbled 60% as well. More than 40% of the existing worth of the energy company Transportadora de Gas del Sur disappeared.

Matías Carugati, chief economist for Management & Fit, said the victory of the Fernández team would put “sustained” pressure on the exchange rate and stocks due to the prospect that the South American’s recent free, less state-interventionist course could be reversed.

Macri’s election in 2015 marked the first time in a more than a decade that Argentina’s center-right opposition had unseated the center-left Peronist movement to which Cristina Fernández belongs.

At the time, his victory appeared to signal a clear end to his rival’s rule, but he conceded that Sunday’s results put him on the defensive.

“This is an election where Argentina has to determine whether it continues on a path of transformation, of deepening democracy, of insertion into the world, of improvement and development — or returns to an authoritarian populist model that has failed in all places where it has been implemented,” he said. </s> Let' s face it, incumbent president Mauricio Macri is really running against Cristina Kirchner, the two-term president who basically got Argentina in the mess they are in now. Macri's missteps and slow decision making on how to right the ship of state, a Latin American Titanic if there ever was one, has him in a nailbiter against Cristina's former chief of staff and hand-picked running mate Albert Fernandez. He is running as President. Cristina as "Vice President".

For voters, a vote for Alberto is a vote for Cristina. That could be his biggest problem.

Despite a stagnant economy, weak commodity prices not doing much to help Argentina's mighty agribusiness sector, and still ridiculously high inflation, Macri is hanging on. For a Latin American president who brought in yet another round of International Monetary Fund bailouts, Macri is defining the odds. Being on Team IMF has yet to be a winning team as far as South American presidential incumbents are concerned.

Nationwide open primaries will be held on August 11th. The vote will effectively serve as a trial run for the first round of the presidential election, which is scheduled for October 27th.

This election is a test of the IMF's new approach in Argentina, which is currently on the receiving end of the Fund's biggest ever aid package — $56 billion. The electorate is increasingly coalescing around Macri and Fernandez of Cristina's Partido Justicialista (PJ), the largest of the Peronista parties in Argentina, and the largest party in the Congress. PJ has gone through several incarnations since the 1970s when it shifted from a center-right party to a socialist, left wing, quasi-anti-American capitalism party centered primarily around Cristina and her late husband Nestor.

It is a tossup between Macri and that crowd.

Macri's popularity has taken a hit since he brought in the IMF. Inflation doubled and is now 55% ending June. Interest rates are over 60%. The peso is holding steady, in the mid 40s, but that is double where it was pre-IMF.

Despite this, Macri's polling numbers have improved thanks to peso stability, stable inflation, and a modest economic recovery.

By contrast, Fernandez and Cristina have seen their ratings fall consistently when they should have been rising. "He has struggled to convince voters that his administration would be different from that of his controversial running mate," says Fiona Mackie, Latin America regional director for The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The EIU is forecasting a Macri victory in the second round.

"A stronger than expected performance by Fernandez (this Sunday) would increase the risk of market jitters and a new run on the peso, which would dampen Macri's electoral prospects," Mackie says.

Still, the first round of elections on October 27 is far away. A lot can happen to change the fortunes of the top two candidates.

Wall Street is still betting on a Macri win, but mindful of the potential shocks from financial markets with government bonds vulnerable to a serious sell off, as well as retailers dumping their pesos for dollars.

The recent jitters from external markets due to the trade war between Washington and Beijing are an unwelcome inconvenience and merit close monitoring for the risks to commodity pricing.

The IMF is also betting on Macri.

Their program has shown extraordinary flexibility on prioritizing peso stability throughout the campaign season by allowing for daily dollar auctions by the central bank, and discreet intervention in forex markets.

"The concern is whether this proves sufficient ammunition in episodes of intense market stress if President Macri doesn’t pull decisively ahead in the polls," says Siobhan Morden, a former Nomura emerging markets managing director, now head of Latin America fixed income at Amherst Pierpont Securities in New York. The fragile dollar supply/demand balance still requires favorable external conditions, she says.

Macri's economic team faces decreasing flexibility against any prolonged or intense market stress and that raises the stakes for him to do well this weekend and push towards a clear frontrunner status come September.

If not, investors will start to look at dwindling central bank reserves and wonder if the IMF's firepower to keep the peso in check will be enough to avoid a highly uncertain, if not dubious, Cristina Kirchner do-over. </s> Ross, ayer, en la entrevista con LA NACION Fuente: LA NACION - Crédito: Santiago Filipuzzi

En una entrevista con LA NACION, el secretario de Comercio, Wilbur Ross, apoyó las políticas del Presidente y mostró su deseo de que "prevalezcan"; se sumó así al aval del secretario de Estado

Julieta Nassau SEGUIR Comentar Me gusta Me gusta Compartir E-mail Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Guardar 3 de agosto de 2019

Fue una visita exprés, que incluyó reuniones con funcionarios, empresarios y el Presidente, y con un objetivo claro: enviar un contundente respaldo del gobierno de Estados Unidos a la gestión de Mauricio Macri en el tramo previo a las PASO, los comicios primarios que marcarán el comienzo de un calendario electoral de resultado aún incierto y que mantiene atenta a la Casa Blanca.

En sus 24 horas en la Argentina, el secretario de Comercio norteamericano, Wilbur Ross, se reunió con empresarios de la Cámara de Comercio de Estados Unidos en la Argentina (AmCham), con ministros y con Macri. "Fue como un reencuentro de amigos", dijo el funcionario de la administración de Donald Trump, que conoce al mandatario de la época en que ambos eran empresarios.

"Mientras continúen las políticas del Presidente, creo que los inversores van a ganar confianza", dijo Ross en una entrevista exclusiva con LA NACION en el Palacio Bosch, al tiempo que deseó que esas políticas "prevalezcan" tras las elecciones de octubre. El viaje de Ross reforzó el apoyo del gobierno de Trump a Macri solo dos semanas después de que estuviera en Buenos Aires el secretario de Estado, Mike Pompeo. Dos visitas de funcionarios claves de su gobierno menos de un mes antes de las primarias.

-¿Están a la espera del resultado electoral para avanzar con eventuales acuerdos con el país?

-Las empresas estarán más cautas hasta ver el resultado de las elecciones. Me junté con la gente de la AmCham y ellos, como nosotros, apoyan mucho las políticas del Presidente. Así que mientras continúen esas políticas creo que los inversores van a ganar confianza. También creo que el mundo exterior no se dio cuenta todavía del buen trabajo que ha hecho el Presidente cumpliendo los objetivos del FMI. Me parece a mí que está un poco superándolos: lograr un déficit primario del 1% y hacerlo en un contexto de una política fiscal y monetaria tan estricta... Es una tarea muy difícil. Creo que lo manejaron muy bien.

Creo que el mundo exterior no se dio cuenta todavía del buen trabajo que ha hecho el Presidente cumpliendo los objetivos del FMI. Me parece a mí que está un poco superándolos.

-Si Alberto Fernández y Cristina Kirchner ganaran las elecciones, ¿los encontrarían como socios confiables?

-Para nosotros son importantes las políticas estables y procapitalismo. Creemos que es lo que la Argentina está haciendo ahora. Esperamos que sean las políticas que prevalezcan. Venezuela probó que ir en la dirección contraria para un país que produce petróleo no es una idea sensata.

-¿Cuáles son las principales oportunidades de inversión y comercio para Estados Unidos en la Argentina?

-Un sector muy importante es el del gas y el petróleo. Es donde Estados Unidos tiene un gran liderazgo, como con el gas natural licuado. Creo que hay un matrimonio lógico entre los recursos naturales de la Argentina y las habilidades y capitales que tenemos nosotros.

En su paso por Buenos Aires, Ross desayunó con el ministro Sica Crédito: Min. Producción

-¿Hubo avances en las negociaciones por el ingreso del biodiésel argentino al mercado de Estados Unidos?

-Es una decisión pendiente. La preliminar ya está -redujimos un poco los aranceles, ya que eliminamos una de las dos categorías- y la decisión final será el 15 de septiembre. Esperamos que eventualmente eso se resuelva con las negociaciones.

Tratado de libre comercio

-Usted viene de Brasil, donde se habló de un eventual tratado de libre comercio. ¿Ese acuerdo incluiría a la Argentina o al Mercosur?

-Brasil y la Argentina anunciaron un acuerdo del Mercosur con la Unión Europea. He advertido que todos queremos eventualmente más tratados comerciales entre Brasil, la Argentina y Estados Unidos. Pero deben ser muy cuidadosos de no poner asuntos en ese acuerdo [con la UE] que les impidan cerrar acuerdos con Estados Unidos. Porque hay algunos temas proteccionistas entre la Comisión Europea y Estados Unidos.

-Lo que usted llamó "píldoras venenosas"...

-Claro. Estándares, indicadores geográficos y otras cosas... Porque seguramente ese acuerdo se cierre antes que cualquier otro con nosotros. Además, en Estados Unidos, para hacer las cosas de manera formal hay que involucrar al Congreso, por lo cual llevará tiempo. Los acuerdos comerciales llevan tiempo... ¿cuánto tardaron sus discusiones con la UE?

En el Mercosur deben ser muy cuidadosos de no poner asuntos en ese acuerdo [con la UE] que les impidan cerrar acuerdos con Estados Unidos

-¿Y cómo serían las negociaciones? ¿Entre Estados Unidos, Brasil y la Argentina o directamente con el Mercosur?

-El tema es lidiar con los procedimientos formales de cada país. Es todavía muy prematuro hablar de eso.

-¿Avanzaron sobre este tema en las reuniones de hoy?

-Como sabe, hay una muy buena relación entre la Argentina y Estados Unidos. Creo que el principal objetivo para la Argentina ahora es el ingreso a la OCDE. Y estamos trabajando muy duro para conseguirlo. Entonces preferimos hacer las cosas de una a la vez y hacerlas bien. Y el ingreso a la OCDE es muy importante.

Un plan para Venezuela

-Usted mencionó a Venezuela. Estados Unidos ya le impuso sanciones. ¿Tienen planes de seguir en esa dirección? Trump habló de un posible bloqueo.

-Estamos decididos a liberar a los venezolanos de las cosas tremendas que están haciendo con ellos. Hay una crisis humanitaria tremenda.

El secretario de Comercio expondrá ante el Grupo de Lima un plan para la reconstrucción de Venezuela Fuente: LA NACION - Crédito: Santiago Filipuzzi

-¿Se imagina un bloqueo del estilo cubano?

-El problema con Venezuela es mucho más complicado por el involucramiento cubano. Entonces tenemos que lidiar con los dos. Ya pusimos una serie de sanciones a Cuba y es porque creemos que son parte del problema y no de la solución. Cuba, Rusia y China son aliados muy cercanos de Venezuela; no solo no ayudan a solucionar el problema, lo generan. Se están llevando el petróleo gratis o por casi nada de dinero. El país no puede ser explotado de esa manera. Necesitan un nuevo régimen, que tendrá el apoyo de la comunidad internacional, para resucitar el país. Voy a Lima la semana que viene para explicarle al Grupo de Lima el plan para asesorar a los venezolanos el día después del cambio de régimen.

-¿Cómo se imagina ese primer día de un nuevo régimen?

-Lo más importante es la asistencia humanitaria. Son más de 30 millones de personas. Si cada persona tuviera 100 dólares de asistencia -que no es mucho-, eso sería un montón de dinero, lo necesario desde el principio. Después hay que pensar en cómo rehabilitar la economía. Nada funciona ahí: el sistema de agua, de energía, de cloacas, de teléfonos, el bancario.

Estamos decididos a liberar a los venezolanos de las cosas tremendas que están haciendo con ellos

-¿Entonces están dispuestos a ayudar económicamente?

-Sí, y confío en que contaremos con apoyo de la comunidad internacional. Una vez que la parte humanitaria esté más bajo control, se necesita una legislación completamente nueva. Porque no tienen derechos de propiedad privada, nada de lo que tiene una economía capitalista. El gobierno de [el presidente encargado, Juan] Guaidó ya está trabajando en eso. Es importante un marco legal adecuado para atraer inversiones. También son importantes las elecciones libres en una primera instancia.

-¿La opción militar sigue sobre la mesa?

-Esa es una decisión militar, del presidente. Mi rol es tratar de ayudar con lo comercial, no con lo militar. Pero estamos determinados para el cambio de régimen.

La guerra comercial

-Trump anunció nuevas tarifas a China y dijo que puede o aumentarlas o eliminarlas en función de cómo sigan las negociaciones. ¿Cuál de esas opciones cree que es más factible?

-Primero expliquemos por qué lo hizo. Creíamos que habíamos llegado a un acuerdo, pero luego China no fue capaz de avanzar en lo que habíamos acordado: algunos puntos sobre el comercio; que comprarían más productos agropecuarios -algo que no hicieron-, y que detendrían la venta de fentanilo, que es un gran problema en Estados Unidos, con decenas de miles de personas que mueren por año. No hemos visto que lo hayan hecho. El presidente se decepcionó en los tres puntos. Pero su respuesta fue moderada.

-¿Cree que llegarán a un acuerdo antes de las elecciones de 2020?

-Lo importante es llegar a un acuerdo adecuado. Y eso depende de tres componentes. El más fácil es que compran más productos; el segundo es una reforma estructural, y lo más difícil, y lo más importante, será el cumplimiento. Los acuerdos comerciales suelen ser débiles en eso. Pero es importante que, si hay violaciones, tenemos que tener la habilidad de tomar acciones unilaterales contra ellos. El presidente dejó en claro que no está apurado, pero no se conformará con cualquier acuerdo. Entonces si es antes o después de las elecciones no es lo importante. Si este presidente no soluciona la relación comercial con China, probablemente ninguno lo hará. Porque enfrentarse a todas las presiones políticas que están en contra de tener un verdadero acuerdo... nadie más lo hará si nosotros fallamos.
Argentine President Mauricio Macri receives the U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who expresses full support from the U.S. for his re-election in the upcoming Argentine elections.