Argentina: Bloggers Discuss Inflation · Global Voices
High inflation is an old scourge of the Argentine economy. Since the economic crisis (1999-2002) and the peso's devaluation, inflation has been back on the scene in spite of President <PERSON> program of social inclusion [es] launched after she succeeded her husband in 2007.
Inflation has long been a subject of controversy in Argentina. An important political issue, it is expected to be one of the main themes debated during the presidential race next October.
According to the national statistics agency Indec [es], inflation rose 10.9% in March 2011 from a year previous for consumer goods. Yet it is commonly said that the Indec is a part of the government's efforts to hide soaring inflation figures. Independent estimations, including one of the former Indec official <PERSON> [es], says annual inflation has reached between 25 and 35%.
An advertisement indicating that candies are submitted to the anti-inflation sugar prices agreement (see note at bottom of post for more on price controls). By Flickr user <PERSON> (CC BY 2.0)
In The Argentine Post, blogger and Wall Street Journal's contributor, <PERSON>, denounces with bitter irony the way the government refuses to handle the high inflation problem:
In just about any other country, an inflation rate of 10% would raise red flags and cause politicians to panic over ways to curb rising prices. Moreover, government officials in those countries would use the word “inflation” to describe what was happening to prices. 289
But Argentina has never been “any other country” and its idiosyncrasies are sometimes so frequent that they cease to surprise.
In a similar fashion, the antigovernment blog BlogBis [es] came up with ten ironic recommendations for the government's web partisans in a post called ‘Manuel para el Twitero K’ (Textbook for the pro-Kichner twitter user):
Algunos conceptos que debe incluir en el tuit que lo convierten en irrefutable:
Si hablan de inflación o pobreza, recuérdele que todo era peor en el 2001.
Some concepts that you should include in a tweet so as to make it irrefutable:
If they talk about inflation or poverty, remind them it was way worse in 2001 [during the economic crisis].
Several blogs try to demonstrate that food and basic products prices have soared since <PERSON> accessed to the presidency. <PERSON> from the blog 7:50 a Retiro [es] shows how the price of the Argentine specialty ‘milanesa‘ (breaded meat filet) sandwich has gone up in six months :
A un par de cuadras de la oficina de la Fundación, un buen señor vende sandwiches de milanesa a $10. Hace unos seis meses estaban a $7. A pesar del “milanga management” del gobierno, el sanguche de milanga se me dispersó 43% en 6 meses. Es la inflación, Amado.
A few blocks from the office of the Foundation, an old man sells sandwiches of milanesa at 10 pesos [2.45 US dollars]. Six months ago they were at 7 pesos [1.70 US dollars]. Despite the “milanesa management” of the government, the [price of a] milanesa sandwich has grown 43% in 6 months. That's inflation, <PERSON> [<PERSON> is the Argentine Minister of Economics and a fervent defender of the Indec method]
He also quotes a comment left under one of his posts suggesting the creation of a citizen website dedicated to inflation:
Mi amigo <PERSON> hizo un excelente comentario al post “Dispersión” que publiqué esta mañana: “En la era del celular con cámara, ¿para cuando el sitio www.eslainflacionamado.com.ar con detalles como éste?”
Mi friend <PERSON> wrote an excellent comment of the post “Dispersion” I had published this morning: “In the era of cellphones with video, what are we waiting for to create the website thisisinflationamado.com.ar [referencing the name of the Minister of Economics, <PERSON>] with all the details like this one?’
The controversy over inflation data has been growing, especially since the government fined several independent economists –such as Estudio Bein & Asociados, Finsoport, MyS Consultores or GRA Consultoras– for challenging official inflation. 186