The facade of Argentina's Central Bank is pictured in the financial district of Buenos Aires, Argentina December 7, 2021.
Argentina's central bank is struggling to keep the benchmark interest rate in line with inflation expectations, with a central bank poll of analysts later in the day forecasting inflation to end the year at more than 180%.
Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe impacts of inflation has been worsened by the government's near-18% devaluation of the peso in mid-August, which coincided with the prior central bank hike, where it increased the interest rate from 97% to 118%.
Milei, who is seeking to shut the central bank and dollarize the economy to tame inflation, recently recommended depositors avoid renewing bank holdings in pesos, arguing that the peso does not even serve as "excrement."
The central bank's rate change on Thursday came after a last-minute decision not to raise the rate to 145% "following a leak," after Reuters reported the higher figure, citing a source close to the bank.
Persons:
Agustin Marcarian, Alberto Fernandez, Javier Milei, Jorge Otaola, Brendan O'Boyle, Isabel Woodford, Anthony Esposito, Richard Chang, Jamie Freed
Organizations:
Central, REUTERS, Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES