Buenos Aires (AFP)
Argentine President Alberto Fernández left his country on Saturday for Europe where he hopes to find support for his strategy to obtain delays in the repayment of Argentina's debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Paris Club. .
Mr. Fernández, a 62-year-old Peronist, is due to meet the heads of state or government of Portugal, Spain, France and Italy.
He is also due to meet his compatriot, Pope Francis, at the Vatican on Thursday.
This European tour follows a trip to Europe by Argentina's Minister of the Economy, Martín Guzmán, who said in Paris that he had found "very important support" before negotiations with the IMF.
Argentina must repay over the next three years almost all of the 45 billion dollars loaned by the IMF to the previous government of the liberal Mauricio Macri.
Fernández will be at the Vatican on Thursday, the same day as IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva, who is attending an international seminar to which Guzman is also invited.
Buenos Aires must also repay this year to the Paris Club some 2.4 billion dollars and 3.8 billion to the IMF.
"The debt, as it is now, is impossible to repay," said Fernandez.
The economic crisis in Argentina worsened further with the Covid-19 pandemic, with a drop of nearly 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and poverty affecting 42% of the population.
© 2021 AFP