Argentina’s new Economy Minister Silvina Batakis speaks during a news conference at the Economy Ministry in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 11, 2022. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
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July 27 (Reuters) – Argentina’s president will sack Economy Minister Silvina Batakis after just weeks in office, Clarin newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing official sources as the country grapples with a deepening economic crisis.
The newspaper said Congress lower house leader Sergio Massa would replace Batakis.
The Department of Commerce and the office of President Alberto Fernandez did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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In a post on Twitter, Massa said he had not been offered a new post and pointed to “a lot of rumours” but did not say he would not be offered the job as minister.
“I had no offers and spoke to the President recently,” he wrote, noting that the conversation took place between Friday and Saturday.
He added that any announcement would be made through official channels.
The Clarin report comes as Batakis returns to Buenos Aires from Washington after a series of high-level financial meetings with investors, lenders and US officials. Her sacking would mean another sudden shock to a ruling coalition already divided over how to deal with rising inflation, massive debt and a falling peso.
Batakis took over from Martin Guzman, Fernandez’s first choice as economy secretary, who abruptly resigned earlier this month, adding to doubts about the near-term prospects of Latin America’s third-largest economy.
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Reporting by Carolina Pulice; Editing by David Alire Garcia
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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