The battle against price rise it was uphill for the government of Alberto Fernandez: the February index marked 6.6% and the year-on-year index reached 102.5%, the maximum in the last 32 years. In this context, the presidential spokesperson, Gabriela Cerruttiadmitted the concern of the national administration with a forceful phrase: “The inflation data seems very bad to us, it was not what was expected”.
The official, in her usual weekly press conference, clarified that in these expressions “there is no reproach” from Alberto Fernández to the Minister of Economy Sergio Massabecause “they both work together” to find solutions.
“The Government understands that daily life, the state of mind, is very difficult, and is committed to continue advancing,” added Cerruti, before pointing out that “the macroeconomic numbers today do not indicate that there should be these levels of inflation because the variables are under control.
In another part of the conference, the spokesperson for the Presidency assured that “explanations are not excuses for those who have to go to the store and face these increases”, but argued that the latest inflation data was marked by a strong increase in price of meat and dairy due to drought.
Asked if the Government analyzes revising the projection of 60% annual inflation, Cerruti indicated that “not for now”. “We hope that the plan that was in place for how the curve was going to descend, which had these problems, can return to the path that was planned and indicated. You have to look at inflation month by month, it is something that you have to work on every day, at all times; this has to do with something seasonal,” he expressed.
In turn, he assured that the Government will be “more rigorous” in the controls of regulated prices, one of the plans to moderate the rise in prices in hypermarkets.
Despite the escalation of the diplomatic conflict between Argentina and Ecuador over the situation of Maria de los Angeles Duarteformer minister of Rafael Correasentenced in three judicial instances and in two different governments for corruption, Cerruti highlighted today that relations are “close and brotherly, as with all Latin American countries.”
”The Ecuadorian foreign minister said that relations are not suffering from any type of conflict. It is a one-off situation. We have close and brotherly relations with Ecuador as with all Latin American countries,” said the spokesperson.
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