Argentina’s central bank reveals international reserves crashed to $26.246 billion on March 27, 2025, the lowest since January 2024.
The bank lost $1.087 billion over nine days, including $48 million in the latest session, as President Javier Milei’s reforms struggle against a relentless economic storm.
This plunge stems from a scramble to stabilize the peso amid soaring demand for dollars and faltering confidence in Milei’s plan. Milei inherited a mess in December 2023: inflation topped 100%, net reserves sat at negative $3 billion, and the economy shrank.
He slashed spending and tightened money supply, briefly lifting reserves. Now, the bank sells dollars to cap the “blue” dollar, which jumped 4.4% to 1,310 pesos since March 18.
The “Contado Con Liquidación” rate hovers at 1,298 pesos, draining reserves as the bank fights a losing battle against market panic. Why does this happen? Dollar demand spikes as talks for a new $40 billion IMF deal stall, leaving Argentina exposed with over $40 billion in debt.
Argentina’s Reserves Collapse Exposes Deep Economic Fault Lines. (Photo Internet reproduction)
Argentina’s Economic Struggle
A 3.5% economic contraction in 2024 slashes export earnings, while the official rate lags at 950 pesos, fueling a black-market rush. Milei’s refusal to float the peso or lift capital controls—fearing an inflation spike—keeps the pressure on.
Weather risks threaten agriculture, a dollar lifeline, and social unrest grows as poverty hits 53%. What does it mean? The drop signals Milei’s reforms teeter on a knife-edge.
His fiscal surpluses and inflation cuts—from 25.5% monthly to single digits—show progress. However, dwindling reserves threaten a currency crisis.
Businesses brace for volatility, as Argentina needs $45 billion to ease controls and pay debts. Without IMF cash or export boosts, the peso could collapse, undoing gains.
Milei’s team battles to hold the line, but the numbers expose a harsh truth. Argentina’s recovery demands dollars it doesn’t have, and austerity alone can’t fill the gap. The world watches as this economic experiment tests the limits of resolve and resources.