Argentina appoints Kirchner protégé Silvina Batakis as economy minister

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Silvina Batakis holds a degree in economics from the National University of La Plata and a master’s degree in public finance and environmental economics. The latter is from the University of York in the United Kingdom.

The Argentine government on Sunday (3) appointed a new Minister of Economy. Then an official of the Ministry of Interior, Silvina Batakis, was selected for the post.

Argentine presidential spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti announced the new minister on Twitter. “Batakis is a renowned economist who held this position in the province of Buenos Aires between 2011 and 2015,” she wrote.

Batakis takes office in light of the economic and political crisis in Argentina. Last week, the dollar hit record highs and there were protests by truck drivers over the lack of diesel in the country.

President Alberto Fernández and his vice president, Cristina Kirchner, are at odds. She advocates greater intervention in the economy to mitigate the impact of the crisis on the low-income population.

Former Economy Minister Martín Guzmán had been in office since Dec. 10, 2019. He resigned on Saturday (2). When he announced his resignation, he said he had “deep conviction and confidence” in his moderate economic vision.

Silvina Batakis holds a degree in economics from the National University of La Plata and a master’s degree in public finance and environmental economics. The latter from the University of York in the United Kingdom. She is close to Cristina Kirchner.

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