My latest article for the Argentina Independent, on the inner workings of the underground market for US currency in Argentina. Huge thanks to Marc Rogers, at the Indy, for his editorial acumen, reportage, and incredible patience on the long journey from idea to...
My recent article for the Argentina Independent regarding recent developments in the default crisis. Greg Palast's recent proposal to end Argentina's default crisis has gone viral in some circles. President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner mentioned it in a televised...
AFTER EIGHT MONTHS, I find Buenos Aires as entrancing and enchanting as the day that I arrived. For the record: I first typed "After seven months...", then stopped to add them up. Eight, it is. This is that kind of place - time just goes by. Following are further...
My article on the Aurora festival for the Argentina Independent.
Fifteen former presidents of the American Foreign Service Association - not a bunch of wild-eyed radicals - have sent a letter to the US Senate opposing the appointment of Noah Mamet as Ambassador to Argentina, along with two other obviously political nominations....
Roger Cohen recently wrote a column in the New York Times about Peronism. I do not agree with the statement politically, but if you add dancing and an obsession with food, it may serve as a description of the national character. "Then, to give expression to its...
Past rulers of Castilia include Ferdinand, Isabella, and Alfonso the Wise. "I am off to Argentina to learn Spanish," I say. "Spanish is easy," they say, "you'll pick it up in no time. Have fun." Those people are wrong. Spanish hasa remarkably low barrier to entry, it...
A fascinating experiment in technology-enabled participatory democracy is happening, right now, in Argentina. They are called the Partido de la Red, and the Argentina Independent did a quality, thoughtful interview (in English) with their founders. The basic idea is...
Arriving in some cities is like returning to a home that you never knew that you had. You walk off the plane and, unexpectedly, you are no longer traveling. For me, there have been four: San Francisco, New Orleans, Prague, and now, Buenos Aires. There is a quality...
And the bombshells keep dropping! The peso fell 11% against the US dollar yesterday, the single steepest daily devaluation since the 2002 financial crisis. In response, the government announced that they would relax currency controls implemented in late 2011 to stem...