Argentina

This past week the Argentine peso fell 11% below the American dollar, the steepest daily fall it has suffered in the past 12 years. The official exchange rate has reached almost 8 pesos to 1 US dollar. Since the economic crisis that hit the nation in 2001, many Argentines have shown little faith in their own economy. Instead, they purchase foreign currency to save rather than saving their constantly depreciating pesos.

As one of the nation's most prestigious academic institutions, Harvard University carefully invests its endowment in order to maintain its funds. One of the university’s most lucrative investments has been in natural resources, particularly timber companies in Argentina.

Memory is what guides our everyday actions: it forms our history, shapes our present, and projects us toward a new future. In the aftermath of trauma, memory serves as an important political tool used to rebuild society. Both individual and communal narratives emerge through the retelling of history and contrasting versions of the same occurrences battle one another to be heard.

Last week, Argentina’s president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner faced a general strike from some of the largest unions of the country. Most businesses and services throughout the country were closed including transportation, hospitals, schools, and restaurants.¹ With many taxi and bus drivers on strike, those who did not participate could not go to work for the day. Picketers blocked off roads, preventing travel throughout the capital. In other cities throughout the country, such as Córdoba, smaller scale strikes had similar effects.