{ "id": "R43816", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R43816", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 586781, "date": "2017-06-16", "retrieved": "2020-01-02T14:24:42.725057", "title": "Argentina: Background and U.S. Relations", "summary": "Argentina, a South American country with a population of almost 44 million, has had a vibrant democratic tradition since its military relinquished power in 1983. Current President Mauricio Macri\u2014the leader of the center-right Republican Proposal and the candidate of the Let\u2019s Change coalition representing center-right and center-left parties\u2014won the 2015 presidential race. He succeeded two-term President Cristina Fern\u00e1ndez de Kirchner, from the center-left faction of the Peronist party known as the Front for Victory, who in turn had succeeded her husband, N\u00e9stor Kirchner, in 2007. Macri\u2019s election ended the Kirchners\u2019 12-year rule, which helped Argentina emerge from a severe economic crisis in 2001-2002 but also was characterized by protectionist and unorthodox economic policies.\nPresident Macri has moved swiftly since his December 2015 inauguration to usher in changes to the government\u2019s economic, foreign, and other policies. Among its economic policy changes, the Macri government lifted currency controls; eliminated or reduced taxes on agricultural exports; and reduced electricity, water, and heating gas subsidies. The government also reached a deal with remaining private creditors in 2016 that ended the country\u2019s 15-year default, an action that allowed the government to repair its \u201crogue\u201d debtor status and to resume borrowing in international capital markets. Although economic adjustment measures resulted in a 2.3% economic contraction in 2016, the economy is forecast to grow by 2.2% in 2017. In the foreign policy arena, the Macri government has improved relations with neighboring Brazil and Uruguay and with the promarket countries of the Pacific Alliance. Forthcoming legislative elections in October 2017 can be seen as a referendum on Macri\u2019s policies. \nU.S. Relations\nU.S.-Argentine relations generally have been characterized by robust commercial relations and cooperation in such issues as nonproliferation, human rights, education, and science and technology. Under the Kirchner governments, however, there were periodic tensions in relations. Macri\u2019s election brought to power a government that has demonstrated a commitment to improved relations with the United States. \nThe Obama Administration moved swiftly to engage the Macri government on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. Demonstrating the change in relations, President Obama traveled to Argentina in March 2016 for a state visit that increased cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, renewable energy, climate change, and citizen security. In August 2016, then-Secretary of State John Kerry launched a High-Level Dialogue with Argentina to serve as a mechanism to ensure sustained engagement.\nStrong bilateral relations are continuing under the Trump Administration. President Macri visited the White House on April 27, 2017, with the two leaders discussing ways to deepen relations in such areas as trade and investment, combatting illicit trafficking and financing, cyber policy, and the situation in Venezuela. On trade issues, U.S. officials have raised concerns for a number of years about Argentina\u2019s enforcement of intellectual property rights protection and various restrictions on imports; Argentina is interested in the restoration of U.S. trade preferences under the Generalized System of Preferences, which were suspended in 2012, as well as in access to the U.S. market for fresh beef and lemons.\nU.S.-Argentine relations largely have been an oversight issue for Congress, but in the aftermath of Macri\u2019s election in 2015 key Members of Congress urged the Obama Administration to prioritize relations with Argentina. In the 115th Congress, the House passed H.Res. 54 (Sires) on April 3, 2017, which, among other provisions, upholds commitment to the bilateral partnership between the United States and Argentina. On June 5, 2017, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations reported a similar but not identical resolution, S.Res. 18 (Coons), as amended. Another congressional interest has been Argentina\u2019s progress in investigating two terrorist bombings in Buenos Aires\u2014the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy and the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA)\u2014as well as the 2015 death of the AMIA special prosecutor. H.Res. 201 (Ros-Lehtinen), introduced in March 2017, would express support for Argentina\u2019s investigation of the two bombings. \nThis report provides background on the political and economic situation in Argentina and U.S.-Argentine relations. An Appendix provides links to selected U.S. government reports on Argentina.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43816", "sha1": "c9514921d63b535c1b60f9c8d39120f589c4e0a1", "filename": "files/20170616_R43816_c9514921d63b535c1b60f9c8d39120f589c4e0a1.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R43816_files&id=/0.png": "files/20170616_R43816_images_6db87d33231fde6f09ce645d006ea55d3ee0bd97.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43816", "sha1": "336c5990a7e91103bb23c64525e573592de8f03f", "filename": "files/20170616_R43816_336c5990a7e91103bb23c64525e573592de8f03f.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4847, "name": "Latin America, Caribbean, & Canada" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 460671, "date": "2017-04-25", "retrieved": "2017-05-09T15:03:39.926577", "title": "Argentina: Background and U.S. Relations", "summary": "Argentina, a South American country with a population of almost 44 million, has had a vibrant democratic tradition since its military relinquished power in 1983. Current President Mauricio Macri\u2014the leader of the center-right Republican Proposal and the candidate of the Let\u2019s Change coalition representing center-right and center-left parties\u2014won the 2015 presidential race. He succeeded two-term President Cristina Fern\u00e1ndez de Kirchner, from the center-left faction of the Peronist party known as the Front for Victory, who in turn had succeeded her husband, N\u00e9stor Kirchner, in 2007. Macri\u2019s election ended the Kirchners\u2019 12-year rule, which helped Argentina emerge from a severe economic crisis in 2001-2002 but also was characterized by protectionist and unorthodox economic policies.\nPresident Macri has moved swiftly since his December 2015 inauguration to usher in changes to the government\u2019s economic, foreign, and other policies. Among its economic policy changes, the Macri government lifted currency controls; eliminated or reduced taxes on agricultural exports; and reduced electricity, water, and heating gas subsidies. The government also reached a deal with remaining private creditors in 2016 that ended the country\u2019s 15-year default, an action that allowed the government to repair its \u201crogue\u201d debtor status and to resume borrowing in international capital markets. Although economic adjustment measures resulted in a 2.3% economic contraction in 2016, the economy is forecast to grow by 2.2% in 2017. In the foreign policy arena, the Macri government has improved relations with neighboring Brazil and Uruguay and with the pro-market countries of the Pacific Alliance. Forthcoming legislative elections in October 2017 can be seen as a referendum on Macri\u2019s policies. \nU.S. Relations\nU.S.-Argentine relations generally have been characterized by robust commercial relations and cooperation in such issues as nonproliferation, human rights, education, and science and technology. Under the Kirchner governments, however, there were periodic tensions in relations. Macri\u2019s election brought to power a government that has demonstrated a commitment to improved relations with the United States. \nThe Obama Administration moved swiftly to engage the Macri government on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. Demonstrating the change in relations, President Obama traveled to Argentina in March 2016 for a state visit that increased cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, renewable energy, climate change, and citizen security. In August 2016, then-Secretary of State John Kerry launched a High-Level Dialogue with Argentina to serve as a mechanism to ensure sustained engagement.\nStrong bilateral relations are continuing under the Trump Administration. President Macri is scheduled to visit the White House on April 27, 2017. According to the White House, the two presidents will discuss ways to deepen the close partnership and exchange views on trade expansion, security sector collaboration, and the deteriorating situation in Venezuela. On trade issues, U.S. officials have raised concerns for a number of years about Argentina\u2019s enforcement of intellectual property rights protection and various restrictions on imports; Argentina is interested in the restoration of U.S. trade preferences under the Generalized System of Preferences, which was suspended in 2012, as well as access to the U.S. market for fresh beef and lemons.\nU.S.-Argentine relations largely have been an oversight issue for Congress. In the aftermath of Macri\u2019s election, key Members of Congress urged the Obama Administration to prioritize relations with Argentina. In the 115th Congress, the House passed H.Res. 54 (Sires) on April 3, 2017, which, among other provisions, upholds commitment to the bilateral partnership between the United States and Argentina. A similar but not identical resolution, S.Res. 18 (Coons), was introduced in January 2017. Another congressional interest has been Argentina\u2019s progress in investigating two terrorist bombings in Buenos Aires\u2014the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy and the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA)\u2014as well as the 2015 death of the AMIA special prosecutor. H.Res. 201 (Ros-Lehtinen), introduced in March 2017, would express support for Argentina\u2019s investigation of the two bombings. \nThis report provides background on the political and economic situation in Argentina and U.S.-Argentine relations. An Appendix provides links to selected U.S. government reports on Argentina.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43816", "sha1": "a20568ba9b6ea92922e6712b5adf2c277aeb0ef6", "filename": "files/20170425_R43816_a20568ba9b6ea92922e6712b5adf2c277aeb0ef6.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43816", "sha1": "64635556cb38c7d9df0ea3702de8af843d161b20", "filename": "files/20170425_R43816_64635556cb38c7d9df0ea3702de8af843d161b20.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4847, "name": "Latin America, Caribbean, & Canada" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 455576, "date": "2016-09-06", "retrieved": "2016-11-28T21:39:16.432523", "title": "Argentina: Background and U.S. Relations", "summary": "Argentina, a South American country with a population of almost 43 million, has had a vibrant democratic tradition since its military relinquished power in 1983. Current President Mauricio Macri\u2014the leader of the center-right Republican Proposal (PRO) and the candidate of the Let\u2019s Change coalition representing center-right and center-left parties\u2014won the 2015 presidential race and was inaugurated on December 10, 2015. He succeeded two-term President Cristina Fern\u00e1ndez de Kirchner, from the center-left faction of the Peronist party known as the Front for Victory (FPV), who was first elected in 2007 (succeeding her husband, N\u00e9stor Kirchner, who served one term). In a close race, Macri defeated the FPV\u2019s Daniel Scioli. Macri\u2019s election ends the 12-year run of so-called Kirchnerismo that helped Argentina emerge from a severe economic crisis in 2001-2002 but also was characterized by protectionist and unorthodox economic policies and at times difficult relations with the United States. \nArgentina has Latin America\u2019s third-largest economy and is endowed with vast natural resources. Agriculture has traditionally been a main economic driver, but the country also has a diversified industrial base and a highly educated population. In 2001-2002, a severe economic crisis precipitated by unsustainable debt led to the government defaulting on nearly $100 billion in foreign debt owed to private creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and foreign governments. Subsequent Argentine administrations resolved more than 90% of the country\u2019s debt owed to private creditors through two debt restructurings offered in 2005 and 2010; repaid debt owed to the IMF in 2006; and, in May 2014, reached an agreement to repay foreign governments, including the United States. \nReaching a settlement with the private creditors that did not participate in the exchanges\u2014the \u201choldouts\u201d\u2014was a more protracted process. Macri made it a priority to resolve the 15-year standoff with private creditors, and, in February 2016, the Argentine government reached an agreement with the major remaining holdouts. In April 2016, the government successfully issued $16.5 billion in new government bonds and paid $9.3 billion to holdout creditors, effectively resolving the default.\nU.S. Relations\nU.S.-Argentine relations generally have been characterized by robust commercial relations and cooperation in such issues as nonproliferation, human rights, education, and science and technology. Under the Kirchner governments, however, there were periodic tensions in relations. Macri\u2019s election brought to power a government that has demonstrated a commitment to improved relations with the United States. \nThe Obama Administration moved forward swiftly with engaging the new government on a range of bilateral issues and pursuing cooperation on various regional and global challenges. Demonstrating the significant change in relations, President Obama traveled to Argentina in March 2016 for a state visit that increased cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, renewable energy, climate change, and citizen security. President Obama also announced a comprehensive effort to declassify additional U.S. documents from the era of military rule in Argentina in which thousands were killed. Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Argentina in early August 2016 to launch a High-Level Dialogue with Argentina to serve as a mechanism to ensure sustained engagement on bilateral issues and approaches toward regional and global challenges, including respect for democracy and human rights in the Americas.\nU.S.-Argentine relations have largely been an oversight issue for Congress. In the aftermath of Macri\u2019s election, key Members of Congress urged the Obama Administration to prioritize relations with Argentina. Over the years, another interest of Congress has been progress in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA), which killed 85 people, and more recently in the investigation into the January 2015 death of the special prosecutor in the AMIA investigation, Alberto Nisman. S.Res. 167, introduced in May 2015, would, among its provisions, call for a swift, transparent, and internationally backed investigation into Nisman\u2019s death. With regard to trade, some Members of Congress have attempted to block the lifting of U.S. import restrictions on fresh beef and lemon imports from Argentina. \nThis report provides background on the political and economic situation in Argentina and U.S.-Argentine relations. An Appendix provides links to selected U.S. government reports on Argentina.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43816", "sha1": "b9b85eb6fefc09eecc6fb75e3dea914665225fd8", "filename": "files/20160906_R43816_b9b85eb6fefc09eecc6fb75e3dea914665225fd8.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43816", "sha1": "2a0cb864262e96ffdb51368cd8ce91c0ff137acc", "filename": "files/20160906_R43816_2a0cb864262e96ffdb51368cd8ce91c0ff137acc.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4847, "name": "Latin America, Caribbean, & Canada" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 451011, "date": "2016-03-22", "retrieved": "2016-03-24T16:49:15.011492", "title": "Argentina: Background and U.S. Relations", "summary": "Argentina, a South American country with a population of almost 43 million, has had a vibrant democratic tradition since its military relinquished power in 1983. Current President Mauricio Macri\u2014the leader of the center-right Republican Proposal (PRO) and the candidate of the Let\u2019s Change coalition representing center-right and center-left parties\u2014won the 2015 presidential race and was inaugurated on December 10, 2015. He succeeded two-term President Cristina Fern\u00e1ndez de Kirchner, from the center-left faction of the Peronist party known as the Front for Victory (FPV), who was first elected in 2007 (succeeding her husband, N\u00e9stor Kirchner, who served one term). In a close race, Macri defeated the FPV\u2019s Daniel Scioli. Macri\u2019s election ends the 12-year run of so-called Kirchnerismo that helped Argentina emerge from a severe economic crisis in 2001-2002 but also was characterized by protectionist and unorthodox economic policies and at times difficult relations with the United States. Since Macri\u2019s Let\u2019s Change coalition does not have a majority in Argentina\u2019s Congress, the new president will need to reach out to Peronist party factions to secure approval of the coalition\u2019s legislative agenda. \nArgentina has Latin America\u2019s third-largest economy and is endowed with vast natural resources. Agriculture has traditionally been a main economic driver, but the country also has a diversified industrial base and a highly educated population. In 2001-2002, a severe economic crisis precipitated by unsustainable debt led to the government defaulting on nearly $100 billion in foreign debt owed to private creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and foreign governments. Subsequent Argentine administrations resolved more than 90% of the country\u2019s debt owed to private creditors through two debt restructurings offered in 2005 and 2010; repaid debt owed to the IMF in 2006; and, in May 2014, reached an agreement to repay foreign governments, including the United States. \nReaching a settlement with the private creditors that did not participate in the exchanges\u2014the \u201choldouts\u201d\u2014has been a more protracted process. Macri made it a priority to resolve the 15-year standoff with private creditors, and, in February 2016, the Argentine government reached an agreement with the major remaining holdouts. If implemented, this agreement could help Argentina normalize its \u201crogue debt\u201d reputation and return to capital markets.\nU.S. Relations\nMacri\u2019s election has brought to power a government that has emphasized improving relations with the United States. U.S.-Argentine relations generally are characterized by robust commercial relations and cooperation in such issues as nonproliferation, human rights, education, and science and technology. At times, however, there were tensions in relations under the Kirchner governments, including over the U.S. judicial cases regarding the holdout creditors.\nIn addition to resolving the long-standing dispute with Argentina\u2019s holdout creditors, Macri has expressed similar views as the United States regarding concerns about human rights problems in the Americas. He has been particularly critical of the Venezuelan government\u2019s repression of its political opponents. A continued interest of the U.S. Congress is progress in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) that killed 85 people, as well as the investigation into the January 2015 death of Alberto Nisman, the prosecutor in the AMIA investigation. Both Iran and Hezbollah are allegedly linked to the AMIA bombing. The Macri government announced that it would not file an appeal against an Argentine court ruling that declared unconstitutional a 2013 agreement with Iran to jointly investigate the AMIA bombing. The government has also taken efforts to press forward with the AMIA investigation. \nDemonstrating the significant change in U.S.-Argentine relations, President Obama is scheduled to travel Argentina March 22-24, 2016, on a state visit, with the goal of increasing bilateral cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, renewable energy and climate change, and citizen security. President Obama will also announce a comprehensive effort to declassify additional U.S. documents from the era of Argentina\u2019s so-called Dirty War, the 1976-1983 period of military rule in which thousands were killed. (See \u201cPresident Obama\u2019s March 2016 Visit to Argentina,\u201d below.)\nThis report provides background on the political and economic situation in Argentina and U.S.-Argentine relations. An Appendix provides links to selected U.S. government reports on Argentina.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43816", "sha1": "73a66d4e7fac72e0ed7b7547f5aa64227d0919a9", "filename": "files/20160322_R43816_73a66d4e7fac72e0ed7b7547f5aa64227d0919a9.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43816", "sha1": "6a98f5529bf3ef2edaa59ac7ebd3b13897f3473b", "filename": "files/20160322_R43816_6a98f5529bf3ef2edaa59ac7ebd3b13897f3473b.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 281, "name": "Latin America and the Caribbean" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc743588/", "id": "R43816_2015Aug11", "date": "2015-08-11", "retrieved": "2015-10-20T21:35:54", "title": "Argentina: Background and U.S. Relations", "summary": "This report provides background on the political and economic situation in Argentina and U.S.-Argentine relations. Argentina, a South American country with a population of almost 42 million, has had a vibrant democratic tradition since its military relinquished power in 1983. Argentina has Latin America's third-largest economy and is endowed with vast natural resources. Agriculture has traditionally been a main economic driver, but the country also has a diversified industrial base and a highly educated population.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20150811_R43816_f23dd167a9261f0d953d0c9de311ed14ea777a29.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20150811_R43816_f23dd167a9261f0d953d0c9de311ed14ea777a29.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Argentina", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Argentina" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Argentina -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Argentina -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government -- Argentina", "name": "Politics and government -- Argentina" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501827/", "id": "R43816_2014Dec09", "date": "2014-12-09", "retrieved": "2015-03-30T22:03:27", "title": "Argentina: Background and U.S. Relations", "summary": "Argentina, a South American country with a population of around 41 million, has had a vibrant democratic tradition since its military relinquished power in 1983. Argentina has Latin America's third-largest economy and is endowed with vast natural resources. Agriculture has traditionally been a main economic driver, but the country also has a diversified industrial base and a highly educated population. U.S.-Argentine relations, as described by the Department of State, are based on such shared interests as regional peace and stability, nuclear nonproliferation, human rights, education, and cooperation on science and technology. Commercial relations are robust, with the United States running a $5.7 billion trade surplus and U.S. companies investing approximately $15 billion in the country. This report provides background on the political and economic situation in Argentina and U.S.- Argentine relations.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20141209_R43816_b48bc2ac08ad23606ae708226e1e90ec3b96de93.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20141209_R43816_b48bc2ac08ad23606ae708226e1e90ec3b96de93.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Argentina", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Argentina" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Argentina -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Argentina -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government -- Argentina", "name": "Politics and government -- Argentina" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Economic Policy", "European Affairs", "Foreign Affairs", "Industry and Trade", "Intelligence and National Security", "Latin American Affairs", "National Defense" ] }