Argentine Finance Minister To World Economic Forum: "Gentlemen...We Don't Need You!"

April 28 (EIRNS)--Speaking from Cordoba April 26, Argentine Finance Minister Felisa Miceli slammed the bankers of the World Economic Forum, who produced a special report at their meeting in Santiago, Chile declaring Argentina a "poor choice" for investors. "Gentlemen of the World Economic Forum," Miceli said, "as much as it may bother you, by doing exactly the opposite of what you want, we are moving forward."

The Finance Minister mocked the so-called "serious bankers of the world" attending the WEF conference April 25-26, "who say that Argentina isn't an attractive place for investment," telling them "we really aren't interested in your opinions. We don't need them. When we Argentines listened to you, when we had leaders who brutally applied your prescriptions, things went very badly for us. This is seared in our recent memory."

The monetarists meeting in Santiago demanded that Argentina enact an "extensive agenda of reforms aimed at improving the general investment climate," by which they mean removing all regulations that protect national interests and the welfare of the population. Miceli effectively told the bankers to "get a life," scathingly noting that "from the comfort of your offices in the financial markets, and from your prestigious institutions, you have no knowledge of the real Argentina. You need to get your feet dirty...and then you'll see that Argentina does have investment.