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Argentine Presidency Issues Full Page Ad Asking, Who Wants To Drive Argentina Into Default?
23 June 2014
(LPAC)—The Presidency of the Nation of the Argentine Republic ran a prominent, full-page color ad in the New York Times and Washington Post on Sunday, under the headline “Argentina Wants to Continue Paying its Debts But They Won’t Let it.” The backdrop to the ad is the British Empire’s intention of annihilating Argentina, because of its assertion of the primacy of national sovereignty and the general welfare, over the interests of speculators and killers. On June 20, National Flag Day, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner gave a speech to the nation in which she said that her government is willing to negotiate with representatives of the vulture funds, but not on any terms—rather with “fair negotiating conditions in accordance with the Argentine Constitution, our national laws and the contracts that we have signed as a nation with 92.4% of our creditors ... to be able to reach an agreement that would be beneficial and fair to 100% of our creditors.” “Don’t expect me to do any old thing; yes, to do what I should, to do my duty; I am always, always prepared to do my duty, but never to gamble with my Fatherland.” In her speech, she repeated a point she has made many times: Europe is devastated; “many countries are permanently restructuring their debt, because they can’t pay when [the debt] comes due, so then another restructuring, more austerity, more unemployment and more misery.” She again recalled the statements her late husband Nestor Kirchner had made before the UN General Assembly in 2003: “Let us grow because the dead don’t pay their debts.” Federal Judge Thomas Griesa threatened on June 18 that should Argentina attempt to change the jurisdiction of its debt restructuring to Buenos Aires, out of New York, as Finance Minister Kicillof announced on June 17, it would be violating “the rulings of my court,” and would face severe consequences. It’s clear that Argentina continues to weigh its options at this point, and the full-page ad, excerpts of which appear below, spells out its position very clearly, for which it is garnering support throughout Ibero-America and beyond. Excerpts from Sunday’s ad: Argentina wants to continue paying its debts, just as it has been doing since 2005, but this is now hindered by Judge Thomas Griesa’s ruling and by the US Supreme Court’s refusal to take on the case. The default of the Argentine Republic in 2001 was the biggest one in the world’s financial history, largely exceeding 100 billion US dollars. Decades of overindebtedness and low growth left the country with a debt amounting to over 160% of its GDP, an unemployment rate close to 25% and over 50% of its population in poverty. Since 2003, several measures were implemented that were aimed at normalizing the country’s international financial relations. The fundamental principle of all negotiations conducted with creditors was always the same: in order to be able to pay, Argentina must first grow, so as to generate the resources that will enable it to honour its commitments. Growth to enable payments has been the hallmark of all debt negotiations conducted by Argentina since 2003. Under this approach, for over a decade, Argentina’s economy has been growing, bringing down unemployment and continuing to reduce its debt, to such an extent that foreign currency-denominated public debt owed to the private sector currently does not exceed 8% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. [Read More: The process to restructure the debt that was defaulted on in 2001 still continues. Along this difficult road, the debt owed to the International Monetary Fund was repaid in full, an agreement was reached with creditors in connection with the final awards of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), obligations to international organizations like the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the Andean Development Corporation were also honoured in full and, recently, payment over a period of up to 7 years was agreed with the Paris Club, in addition to the compensation given to the company REPSOL, within the context of the retaking of control over 51% of the shares in oil company YPF. Without doubt, the most complex problem was to reach a deal with the thousands of holders of debt in default since 2001, amounting to 81 billion US dollars. But Argentina was successful in this regard ... it reached an agreement for a voluntary exchange of defaulted instruments for new bonds involving a haircut, longer term and lower rate, which ensured that the commitment undertaken by the country would be sustainable. The exchange offer was made in 2005 and again in 2010, finding acceptance among 92.4% of creditors. One of the keys to success was, as is customary in such transactions, the fact that both Argentinean legislation as well as the prospectus of the instruments issued prevent the offering of better conditions to creditors who failed to accept the offer (holdouts). Since 2003, through the efforts of all of the Argentine people, debt service payments related to the whole restructured debt have been made punctually, in an amount of over 190 billion dollars and with no access to international financial markets. 7% of bondholders did not accept the restructuring. The vulture funds that secured a ruling in their favour are not original lenders to Argentina. They purchased bonds in default at obscenely low prices for the sole purposes of engaging in litigation against Argentina and making an enormous profit. Paul Singer’s NML fund, for example, in 2008 paid only 48.7 million US dollars for bonds in default. Judge Griesa’s ruling now orders that it be paid an amount of 832 million U.S. dollars, i.e., a gain of 1,608% in only six years. Argentina has appealed against New York District Court Thomas Griesa’s ruling, which orders payment of 1.5 billion dollars to be made on June 30, which is the due date of the next payment related to the restructured debt. However, it is estimated that the total bonds in default that did not enter the restructuring processes amount to 15 billion US dollars, i.e. over 50% of Argentina’s foreign currency reserves. Judge Griesa’s ruling would push the country to a new default. This is so because if Argentina does pay the 1.5 billion, it will have to pay 15 billion in the immediate future. To make matters worse, under the laws of Argentina and the clauses governing the restructured instruments (RUFO), if the vulture funds were to be paid, all other bondholders would demand equal treatment, involving an estimated cost of over 120 billion US dollars. If, on the other hand, Argentina does not pay the vulture funds, Judge Griesa’s ruling forbids Argentina to make payments to 92.4% of the bondholders who did accept the restructuring, as the judge has issued orders to the Bank of New York and to the settlement agencies for them not to pay. In other words: paying the vulture funds is a path leading to default, and if they are not paid, Judge Griesa’s order entails jeopardizing the right of the bondholders to collect their debt restructured in 2005 and 2010. Meanwhile, the vulture funds have invested millions of dollars in lobbying and propaganda, trying to make the whole world believe that Argentina does not pay its debts and refuses to negotiate. However, precisely since 2003, the way out of default while reducing debt was by negotiating and paying. Even today, Argentina still keeps the possibility of an exchange open for all those who respect the principle of equality. A decision of the U.S. Judiciary favourable to 1.6% of the bondholders, who are specialized in litigation, jeopardizes a debt restructuring voluntarily accepted by 92.4% of the creditors. The legal interpretations relied upon in Judge Griesa’s rulings have been called into question by the most varied parties: the governments of France, Mexico, Brazil and Uruguay; settlement agency Euroclear and the Fintech fund. Joseph Stiglitz, Anne Kruger, Nouriel Roubini have also made statements along the same lines, as well as CELAC, the G24, G77, and 106 British parliamentarians. Even the US government and the IMF have shown concern at the global implications of the ruling. This ruling seeks to put Argentina in a delicate position, but also any other country that may have to undertake a restructuring of its debts in the future. Under the domestic legislation of any country, when there is a suspension of payments and 66% of creditors agree to a deal, the rest are also obliged to accept. As there is no legal framework governing the default of a sovereign country, this precedent means that even if 99.9% voluntary acceptance were to be achieved, 0.1% of creditors could invalidate the whole restructuring. The will of Argentina is clear: we expect a judicial decision that promotes fair and balanced negotiating conditions to resolve this protracted and difficult dispute that has affected, affects and will continue to affect the Argentina people due to the voracity of a minute group of speculators.
Contact: Analia Rach Tel. +54 (11) 4114-9595 Email: privada@jefatura.gob.ar ] Ibero-America Rallies In Defence Of Argentina Against The Vultures Several Ibero-American regional organizations, as well as individual national Congresses and government leaders, are expressing solidarity with Argentina in opposition to the predatory vulture funds, whose British imperial masters are out to annihilate Argentina. It hasn’t escaped the attention of some that any nation on the continent could come under similar attack from these same killers. As Uruguay’s President Jose Mujica noted, “we could be next.” [Read More: It’s noteworthy too, that early in June, before the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision, 100 British parliamentarians signed a “motion of support” for Argentina, organized by the Vatican-linked Jubilee Network, warning that the vulture funds were trying to drive Argentina into default, and calling on the British government to put forward a bill that would “prevent the vulture funds from ignoring the restructuring of the Argentine and Greek debt.” Lacking in these statements is an understanding that only a complete overhaul of the global financial system, and destruction of the British Empire, can bring about the results they seek. ** The 34-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) issued a statement emphasizing that agreements between creditors and debtors in the framework of sovereign debt restructurings must absolutely be respected, in order to guarantee the stability of the global financial system. Referencing its January 2014 meeting in Cuba, CELAC underscored that there must be instruments available that make possible “reasonable and definitive” agreements between creditors and sovereign debtors, thereby making it possible to address “sustainability of the debt in an orderly fashion.” ** The Common Market of the South (Mercosur) expressed “its absolute rejection of the attitude of the holdouts,” whose actions “prevent achieving an agreement between debtors and creditors and jeopardize financial stability.” Argentina is seeking a solution, it says, that “doesn’t compromise the development and wellbeing of its people, in accordance with its policies of national development.” ** The Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur) announced that at its July 7 meeting, it will address the attack on Argentina by the predatory vulture funds and expressed concern over the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on future sovereign debt restructurings and on the stabilitiy of regional and global finances. It calls on the national congresses of Mercosur nations to denounce the “extortion of the vulture funds” and to promote “international legal mechanisms which strengthen the position of nation-states against attacks by the speculative vulture funds.” The June 14 G-77 + China summit in Bolivia, had also warned that “the vulture funds cannot be allowed to paralyze the restructuring activities of developing nations or deprive the State from protecting its people in accordance with international law.” ] |
Presidency of the Nation -