U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
BACKGROUND NOTES: ARGENTINA, JANUARY 1999 
RELEASED BY THE BUREAU OF INTER-AMERICAN AFFAIRS 


OFFICIAL NAME: The Argentine Republic

PROFILE

Geography

Area: 2.8 million sq. km (1.1 million sq. mi.); about the size of the U.S. east 
of the Mississippi River; 
second-largest country in South America.
Cities: Capital--Buenos Aires (city: 3 million; metropolitan area: 12 million). 
Other major cities--Cordoba (1.2 million); Rosario (950,000); Mar del Plata 
(900,000); Mendoza 
(400,000). 
Terrain: Andes mountains and foothills in west. Aconcagua, (7,021 m; 23,034 ft) 
is highest peak in the 
Western Hemisphere; remainder of country is lowland; central region 
characterized by vast grassy plains 
(pampas).
Climate: Varied--predominantly temperate with extremes ranging from subtropical 
in the north to 
arid/subantarctic in far south.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Argentine(s).
Population (mid-1997): 35.8 million.
Annual population growth rate: 1.3%. 
Ethnic groups: European 97%, mostly of Spanish and Italian descent. 
Religions: Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Adult literacy--96.2%. 
Health: Infant mortality rate--23.6/1000. Life expectancy--72.3 yrs.
Work force: Industry and commerce--36%. Agriculture--19%. Transport and 
communications--6%.

Government

Type: Republic.
Independence: July 9, 1816.
Constitution: 1853, revised 1994.
Branches: Executive--president, vice president, cabinet. Legislative--bicameral 
congress (72-member 
Senate, 257-member Chamber of Deputies). Judicial--Supreme Court, federal and 
provincial trial courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 23 provinces and one autonomous federal capital 
district.
Political Parties: Justicialist, Radical Civic Union, FREPASO, numerous smaller 
national and provincial 
parties.  In 1997, UCR and FREPASO formed a coalition called the Alliance for 
Work, Justice, and 
Education.
Suffrage: Universal adult.

Economy (1997 figures)

GDP: $323 billion.
Annual real growth rate: 8.6%.
Per capital GDP: $9,100.
Natural resources: Fertile plains (pampas). Minerals: lead, zinc, tin, copper, 
iron, manganese, oil, uranium.
Agriculture (8.5% of GDP, about 60% of exports by value): Products--grains, 
oilseeds and by-products, 
livestock products.
Industry (30% of GDP): Types--food processing, oil refining, machinery and 
equipment, textiles, 
chemicals and petrochemicals. 
Trade: Exports $26.2 billion--grains, meats, oilseeds, manufactured products. 
Major markets--Brazil 30%; EU 15.5%; U.S. 9%. Imports $30.4 billion--machinery, 
vehicles and transport 
products, chemicals. Major suppliers--EU 29%; Brazil 23%; 
U.S. 21%.

U.S.-ARGENTINE RELATIONS

The United States and Argentina currently enjoy a close bilateral relationship, 
which was highlighted by 
President Clinton's visit to Argentina in October 1997. The efforts of the Menem 
Administration to open 
Argentina's economy and realign its foreign policy have contributed to the 
improvement in these relations, 
and the interests and policies of the two countries coincide on many issues. 
Argentina and the United States 
often vote together in the United Nations and  other multilateral fora. 
Argentina has participated in many 
multilateral forces deployments mandated by the United Nations Security Council, 
including recent 
missions to Haiti and the former Yugoslavia. Reflecting the growing partnership 
that marks ties between 
the two countries, on October 16, 1997, Secretary of  State Albright and 
Argentine Foreign Minister Di 
Tella held the first meeting of  the Special Consultative Process to address 
important issues in the bilateral 
relationship.

U.S. Embassy Functions

The U.S. Mission in Buenos Aires carries out the traditional diplomatic function 
of representing the United 
States Government and people in discussions with the Argentine Government, and 
more generally, in 
relations with the people of Argentina. The excellent political relationship 
between the United States and 
Argentina is increasingly reflected in the U.S. embassy's efforts to facilitate 
cooperation in nontraditional 
areas such as counter-terrorism, anti-narcotics, and scientific cooperation on 
space, peaceful uses of nuclear 
energy, and the environment.

The embassy also provides a wide range of services to U.S. citizens and 
businesses in Argentina. Officers 
from the U.S. Foreign Service, Foreign Commercial Service, and Foreign 
Agricultural Service work 
closely with the thousands of U.S. companies which maintain offices and/or do 
business in Argentina, 
providing information on Argentine trade and industry regulations and assisting 
U.S. companies starting or 
maintaining business ventures in Argentina. Attaches accredited to Argentina 
from the Department of 
Justice (including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation), U.S. 
Customs, the Federal Aviation Administration, and other federal agencies work 
closely with Argentine 
counterparts on issues related to international crime and other issues of 
concern.

An active, sophisticated, and expanding media environment, together with growing 
positive interest in 
American culture and society, make Argentina an uncommonly receptive environment 
for the information 
and cultural-exchange work of the United States Information Service. The number 
of Argentines studying 
in U.S. universities is rapidly growing, and the Fulbright fellowship program 
has more than tripled the 
annual number of U.S. and Argentine academic grantees since 1994.

The embassy's consular section monitors the welfare and whereabouts of more than 
20,000 U.S. citizen 
residents of Argentina and the over 300,000 U.S. tourists who visit Argentina 
each year. Consular 
personnel also provide American citizens passport, voting, notarial, Social 
Security and other vital services.  
Although, since 1996, the U. S. has permitted Argentine tourists to visit 
without visas, the consular section 
does issue nonimmigrant visas to persons who travel for other purposes, such as 
students and those who 
seek to work in the U.S, as well as immigrant visas to those who seek U.S. 
permanent residence.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officers

Ambassador--Vacant
Charge d'Affaires, a.i.--Manuel Rocha
Deputy Chief of Mission--Thomas Martin (acting)
Political Counselor--Mark A. Sigler
Economic Counselor-John Creamer (acting)
Commercial Counselor--Michael Liikala
Consul General-Robert Raymer
Science Counselor--Philip Covington
Administrative Counselor--Benjamin Castro
Defense Attachˇ--Col. Jeffrey W. Whisenhunt, USAF
Commander, U.S. Military Group--Colonel Clark Lynn III, USA
Public Affairs Officer-Guy Burton

The U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in Argentina are located at 4300 Colombia 
Avenue in Buenos 
Aires' Palermo district. Mission offices can be reached at tel. (54)(1)777-
4533/34; fax (54)(1)777-0197. 
Mailing addresses are: U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires, APO AA 34034; or 4300 
Colombia, 1425 Buenos 
Aires, Argentina.  Embassy home page: http://www.usia.gov/posts/baires_embassy.

ECONOMY

In 1989, after decades of economic decline and chronic bouts of inflation, 
Argentina under President 
Menem began an unprecedented, profound, and remarkably successful economic 
restructuring based on 
trade liberalization, privatization, public administrative reform, and 
macroeconomics stabilization.

The 1991 Convertibility Law established a quasi-currency board which has 
provided the pillar of price 
stability but constrains monetary policy severely.  The government privatized 
most state-controlled 
companies, opened the economy to foreign trade and investment, improved tax 
collection, and created 
private pension and workers compensation systems.

As a result of these measures, Argentina has experienced a boom in economic 
growth in the 1990s. 
Following a year-and-a-half-long local recession, Argentina's real GDP growth 
reached 8.6% in 1997--
higher than the average of 6% for the 1991-1997 period. Industry, agriculture, 
construction, energy and 
mining all expanded considerably during the year. Real GDP growth slowed to 
approximately 5% in 1998, 
primarily because of the impact of the world financial crisis.  Private sector 
growth estimates for 1999 
range from 1-3%.

The structural reforms undertaken this decade--coupled with monetary stability--
fostered major new 
investments in industrial sectors producing goods for exports. This was most 
notable in the food products, 
oil and gas, automotive, and mining and metals sectors. As a result, Argentina's 
exports doubled in five 
years--from about $12 billion in 1992 to over $26 billion in 1997. Similarly, 
imports also doubled during 
the same period--rising from $15 billion to over $30 billion. Foreign direct 
investment flow--which 
averaged $3.5 billion annually from 1990 to 1995--exceeded $6 billion in 1997, 
according to reliable 
estimates.

The May 1998 unemployment rate was 13.2%--down from 18.4% in mid-1995.  However, 
larger and more 
significant declines will come slowly over the longer term. This is likely 
because the government intends to 
implement several more privatization programs, labor productivity will rise as 
major private investments 
are made, and future growth will be strongest in the capital intensive sectors.

Argentina is vulnerable to abrupt changes in capital flows. However, strong 
leadership and earlier 
structural reforms helped the country weather the effect of the Mexican peso 
devaluation in 1994-95.  
Argentine authorities, supported by the U.S., Japan, Europe, and international 
financial institutions, reacted 
decisively to bolster the peso. The government has continued to demonstrate 
credibility through further 
economic adjustment and conclusion of a new Extended Fund Facility arrangement 
with the International 
Monetary Fund at the end of 1997.

Argentina's principal economic policy challenges in 1999 are:

-- Managing the fallout from the world financial crisis. 
-- Continuing the reform of provincial administration and banking; and 
-- Simplifying tax collection and combating tax evasion.

Banking

Argentina's banking system began 1998 further consolidated and strengthened by 
recent large foreign 
investments. Peso and dollar deposits in the banking system grew strongly and 
reached nearly $70 billion 
at the end of 1997--close to twice the level in June 1995, when bank deposits 
hit a low of $37 billion.  
Despite the turmoil in international capital markets following Russia's 
devaluation of the ruble in August 
1998, total deposits in Argentina's banking system-as well as the country's 
international reserves-have 
remained stable.  Foreign-controlled banks now hold about 50% of total Argentine 
bank deposits.

In late 1997, shortly after the Asian financial crisis began, the Government of 
Argentina reassured 
investors that the country's banking system and reserves were strong enough to 
withstand the storm. Bank 
financing and lending costs are still high by industrialized country standards. 
Credit is very expensive for 
certain sectors. Easier lending for small and medium sized firms and improved 
credit risk management is 
essential to foster job creation.

In late 1997, the Menem Administration announced its intention to privatize 
Banco de la Nacion, 
Argentina's largest commercial bank. Strong political opposition, however, makes 
the timing of this 
privatization uncertain. During 1998, the government initiated the privatization 
of the National Mortgage 
Bank.

Foreign Trade

A key development in helping Argentina meet its external payments is the 
dramatic growth in Argentina's 
foreign trade since 1990. Foreign trade plays an increasingly important role in 
Argentina's economic 
development. Exports currently represent less than 10% of Argentina's GDP. This 
percentage should rise as 
Argentine export competitiveness improves--a result of increased productivity 
generated by new 
investments, diversification of export products and markets, and very low 
domestic inflation.

Grain output reached a record of over 60 million tons in 1998 as adoption of new 
technology and 
management practices significantly increased productivity.  Fresh Argentine beef 
was exported to the U.S. 
market in August 1997 for the first time in over 50 years, and other export 
prospects improved 
tremendously. 

However, export growth slowed sharply in 1998 due to lower world prices for 
petroleum and agricultural 
commodities.  Slower growth in Brazil also adversely affected Argentine exports, 
especially in the 
automotive sector.  Meanwhile, lower GDP growth contributed to a reduction in 
the rate of import growth.  
Capital goods continued to account for over 40% of total imports.

MERCOSUR, a regional customs union and emerging trade bloc (which includes 
Argentina, Brazil, 
Paraguay, and Uruguay, and has associations with Chile and Bolivia), is one of 
the largest and most 
dynamic integrated markets in the developing world. Close cooperation between 
Brazil and Argentina--
historic competitors--is key to MERCOSUR's impressive growth. Argentina's trade 
with the other members 
of MERCOSUR has grown fivefold since 1991. (During that period, its total 
foreign trade doubled). As a 
result, Argentina will focus more attention on deepening MERCOSUR relations. 
MERCOSUR needs 
closer coordination of macroeconomic policies and better dispute resolution 
mechanisms.

Ties to MERCOSUR will take on added importance in coming years. Argentina's 
trade and investment 
have tremendous potential to grow along with hemispheric economic integration. 
The 1998 financial 
turbulence triggered by the Russian devaluation underscored that macroeconomic 
conditions in Brazil--
Argentina's most important trading partner--are important variables for 
Argentina's foreign trade in 1998 
and beyond. On an upbeat note, Chile's association with MERCOSUR has improved 
access for Argentine 
exports to East Asia via Chilean ports.

The U.S. registered trade surpluses with Argentina every year from 1993 to 1997 
totaling nearly $13 
billion. The annual surplus reached $3 billion in 1997--due in large part to 
Argentina's continued demand 
for capital goods, as well as the recovery of the local economy. The U.S. 
surplus with Argentina could 
climb to a record $4 billion in 1998. This trend reflects the Argentine 
Government's policy of encouraging 
modernization and improved competitiveness for Argentine industry.

Argentina adheres to most treaties and international agreements on intellectual 
property. It is a member of 
the World Intellectual Property Organization and signed the Uruguay Round 
agreements in December 
1993--including measures related to intellectual property. However, extension of 
adequate patent 
protection to pharmaceuticals has been a highly contentious bilateral issue. In 
May 1997, the U.S. 
suspended 50% of Argentina's GSP benefits because of its unsatisfactory 
pharmaceutical patent law.

Investment

U.S. direct investment in Argentina, an estimated $12 billion in mid-1997, is 
concentrated in 
telecommunications, banking, electric energy generation, gas and petroleum 
production, food processing, 
and motor vehicle manufacturing. Additional direct U.S. investment of $2 billion 
is expected in 1998.

The U.S. and Argentina have an Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) 
agreement and an active 
U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIMBANK) program. Total EXIMBANK exposure in Argentina 
approaches 
$2.5 billion, and the OPIC portfolio is approaching the country limit.

Under the 1994 U.S.-Argentine bilateral investment treaty, U.S. investors enjoy 
national treatment in all 
sectors except shipbuilding, fishing, nuclear power generation, and uranium 
production. The treaty allows 
for international arbitration of investment disputes.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

After years of instability, Argentina is today a fully functioning democracy. 
During President Carlos 
Menem's first term (1989-1995), he dramatically reordered Argentina's foreign 
and domestic policies. His 
overwhelming reelection in May 1995--in the face of hardships caused by economic 
restructuring and 
exacerbated by the Mexico peso crisis--provided a mandate for his free market 
economic strategy and pro-
U.S. foreign policy. Menem's second term ends in December 1999; the constitution 
does not provide for a 
sitting president to succeed himself more than once.

The constitution of 1853, as revised in 1994, mandates a separation of powers 
into executive, legislative, 
and judicial branches at the national and provincial level. Each province also 
has its own constitution 
which roughly mirrors the structure of the national constitution.

The president and vice president were traditionally elected indirectly by an 
electoral college to a single six-
year term. They were not allowed immediately to seek reelection. Constitutional 
reforms adopted in 
August 1994 reduced the presidential term to four years, abolished the electoral 
college in favor of direct 
election, and limited the president and vice president to two consecutive terms, 
but allowed them to stand 
for a third term or more after an interval of at least one term.  Cabinet 
ministers are appointed by the 
president. The constitution grants the president considerable power, including a 
line-item veto.

Provinces traditionally sent two senators, elected by provincial legislatures, 
to the upper house of Congress. 
Voters in the federal capital of Buenos Aires elected an electoral college which 
elected the city's senators. 
The constitution now mandates a transition to direct election for all senators, 
and the addition of a third 
senator from each province and the capital. The third senator will represent the 
electoral district's largest 
minority party. The revised constitution reduces senatorial terms from nine to 
six years in office. One third 
of the Senate will stand for reelection every two years.

Members of the Chamber of Deputies are directly elected to four-year terms. 
Voters elect half the members 
of the lower house every two years through a system of proportional 
representation.

Other important changes to the constitutional system included the creation of a 
senior coordinating minister 
to serve under the president and autonomy for the city of Buenos Aires, which 
now elects its own mayor. 
The constitution establishes the judiciary as a separate and independent entity 
of government. The 
president appoints members of the Supreme Court with the consent of the Senate. 
Other federal judges are 
appointed by the president upon recommendation by the magistrates' council.  The 
Supreme Court has the 
power, first asserted in 1854, to declare legislative acts unconstitutional.

Political Parties

The two largest political parties are the Partido Justicialista or Peronist 
Party (PJ), which evolved out of 
Juan Peron's efforts to expand the role of labor in the political process in the 
1940s, and the Union Civica 
Radical, or Radical Civic Union (UCR), founded in 1890. Traditionally, the UCR 
has had more urban 
middle-class support and the PJ has received more labor support. Support for 
both parties is broadly based. 
A grouping of mostly left parties and former Peronists--the Front for a Country 
of Solidarity (FREPASO)--
has emerged in the 1990s as a serious political contender especially in the 
Federal Capital. In August 1997, 
the UCR and FREPASO formed a coalition called the Alliance for Work, Justice, 
and Education.  Smaller 
parties occupy various positions on the political spectrum and some are active 
only in certain provinces.

Historically, organized labor (largely tied to Menem's Peronist Party) and the 
armed forces have also 
played significant roles in national life. Labor's political power has been 
significantly weakened by 
Menem's free market reforms. The armed forces are firmly under civilian control. 
Repudiated by the public 
after a period of military rule (1976-83), marked by human rights violations, 
economic decline, and 
military defeat in the 1982 Falkland/Malvinas Islands war, the Argentine 
military is now a slimmed-down, 
all volunteer force focused largely on international peacekeeping. 

Government Policy

The Menem Administration has pursued wide-ranging economic reforms designed to 
open the Argentine 
economy and enhance its international competitiveness. Privatization, 
deregulation, fewer import barriers, 
and a fixed exchange rate have been cornerstones of this effort. All these 
changes have dramatically 
reduced the role of the Argentine state in regulating the domestic market. The 
reform agenda, however, 
remains incomplete, including improvements in the judicial system and provincial 
administration.

National Security

The president and a civilian minister of defense control the Argentine armed 
forces. The paramilitary 
forces under the control of the Ministry of Interior are the Gendarmeria (border 
police) and the Prefectura 
Naval (coast guard). The Argentine armed forces maintain close defense 
cooperation and military supply 
relationships with the United States. Other countries also have military 
relationships with the Argentine 
forces, principally Israel, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. The lack of 
budgetary resources is the most 
serious problem facing the Argentine military. Current economic conditions and 
the government's 
commitment to reduce public sector spending have slowed modernization and 
restructuring efforts. Under 
President Menem, Argentina's traditionally difficult relations with its 
neighbors have improved 
dramatically and Argentine officials publicly deny seeing a potential threat 
from any neighboring country.

PEOPLE

Argentines are a fusion of diverse national and ethnic groups. Descendants of 
Italian and Spanish 
immigrants predominate. Waves of immigrants from many European countries arrived 
in the late 19th and 
early 20th centuries. Syrian, Lebanese, and other Middle Eastern immigrants 
number about 500,000, 
mainly in urban areas. Argentina has the largest Jewish population in Latin 
America, about 250,000 strong. 
In recent years, there has been a substantial influx of immigrants from 
neighboring Latin American 
countries. The indigenous population, now estimated at 700,000, is concentrated 
in the provinces of the 
north, northwest, and south. The Argentine population has one of Latin America's 
lowest growth rates. 
Eighty percent of the population resides in urban areas of more than 2,000 and 
more than one-third of the 
population lives in the greater Buenos Aires area. This sprawling metropolis, 
with about 12 million 
inhabitants, serves as the focus for national life. Argentines enjoy 
comparatively high standards of living; 
half the population considers itself middle class.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Europeans arrived in the region with the 1502 voyage of Amerigo Vespucci. 
Spanish navigator Juan Diaz 
de Solias visited what is now Argentina in 1516. Spain established a permanent 
colony on the site of 
Buenos Aires in 1580. They further integrated Argentina into their empire 
following the establishment of 
the Vice-Royalty of Rio de la Plata in 1776, and Buenos Aires became a 
flourishing port.

Buenos Aires formally declared independence from Spain on July 9, 1816. 
Argentines revere General Jose 
de San Martin, who campaigned in Argentina, Chile, and Peru, as the hero of 
their national independence. 
Following the defeat of the Spanish, centralist and federalist groups waged a 
lengthy conflict between 
themselves to determine the future of the nation. National unity was established 
and the constitution 
promulgated in 1853.

Two forces combined to create the modern Argentine nation in the late 19th 
century: the introduction of 
modern agricultural techniques and the integration of Argentina into the world 
economy. Foreign 
investment and immigration from Europe aided this economic revolution. The 
investment, primarily 
British, came in such fields as railroads and ports. The migrants who worked to 
develop Argentina's 
resources came from throughout Europe, but mostly from Italy and Spain.

Conservative forces dominated Argentine politics until 1916, when their 
traditional rivals, the Radicals, 
won control of the government through a democratic election. The Radicals, with 
their emphasis on fair 
elections and democratic institutions, opened their doors to Argentina's 
expanding middle class as well as 
to elites previously excluded from power for various reasons. The Argentine 
military forced aged Radical 
President Hipolito Yrigoyen from power in 1930 and ushered in another decade of 
Conservative rule.

Using fraud and force when necessary, the governments of the 1930s attempted to 
contain forces for 
economic and political change that eventually helped produce the governments of 
Juan Domingo Peron (b. 
1897). New social and political forces were seeking political power. These 
included the modern military 
and the labor movement that emerged from the growing urban working class.

The military ousted Argentina's constitutional government in 1943. Peron, then 
an army colonel, was one 
of the coup's leaders, and he soon became the government's dominant figure as 
minister of labor. Elections 
carried him to the presidency in 1946. He aggressively pursued policies aimed at 
giving an economic and 
political voice to the working class and greatly expanded the number of 
unionized workers. In 1947, Peron 
announced the first five-year plan based on nationalization and 
industrialization. He presented himself as a 
friend of labor and assisted in establishing the powerful General Confederation 
of Labor (CGT). Peron's 
dynamic wife, Eva Duarte de Peron, known as Evita (1919-1952), helped her 
husband develop his appeals 
to labor and women's groups. Women obtained the right to vote in 1947.

Peron won reelection in 1952, but the military deposed him in 1955. He went into 
exile, eventually settling 
in Spain. In the 1950s and 1960s, military and civilian administrations traded 
power. They tried, with 
limited success, to deal with diminished economic growth and continued social 
and labor demands. When 
military governments failed to revive the economy and suppress escalating 
terrorism in the late 1960s and 
early 1970s, the way was open for Peron's return.

On March 11, 1973, Argentina held general elections for the first time in 10 
years. Peron was prevented 
from running, but voters elected his stand-in, Dr. Hector J. Campora, to the 
presidency. Peron's followers 
also commanded strong majorities in both houses of the National Congress, which 
assumed office on May 
25, 1973. Campora resigned in July 1973, paving the way for new elections. Peron 
won a decisive victory 
and returned as President in October 1973 with his third wife, Maria Estela 
Isabel Martinez de Peron, as 
Vice President.

During this period, extremists on the left and right carried out terrorist acts 
with a frequency that threatened 
public order. The government resorted to a number of emergency decrees, 
including the implementation of 
special executive authority to deal with violence. This allowed the government 
to imprison persons 
indefinitely without charge.

Peron died on July 1, 1974. His wife succeeded him in office, but her 
administration was undermined by 
economic problems, Peronist intraparty struggles, and growing terrorism from 
both left and right. A 
military coup removed her from office on March 24, 1976. Until December 10, 
1983, the armed forces 
formally exercised power through a junta composed of the three service 
commanders.

The armed forces applied harsh measures against terrorists and their 
sympathizers. They silenced armed 
opposition and restored basic order. The costs of what became known as the 
"Dirty War" were high in 
terms of lives lost and basic human rights violated.

Serious economic problems, defeat by the U.K. in 1982 after an unsuccessful 
Argentine attempt to forcibly 
take control of the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, public revulsion in the face of 
severe human rights abuses, 
and mounting charges of corruption combined to discredit and discourage the 
military regime. This 
prompted a period of gradual transition and led the country toward democratic 
rule. Acting under public 
pressure, the junta lifted bans on political parties and restored other basic 
political liberties. Argentina 
experienced a generally successful and peaceful return to democracy.

On October 30, 1983, Argentines went to the polls to choose a president, vice 
president, and national, 
provincial, and local officials in elections international observers found to be 
fair, open, and honest. The 
country returned to constitutional rule after Raul Alfonsin, candidate of the 
Radial Civic Union (UCR), 
received 52% of the popular vote for president. He began a six-year term of 
office on December 10, 1983.

In 1985 and 1987, large turnouts for mid-term elections demonstrated continued 
public support for a strong 
and vigorous democratic system. The UCR-led government took steps to resolve 
some of the nation's most 
pressing problems, including accounting for those who disappeared during 
military rule, establishing 
civilian control of the armed forces, and consolidating democratic institutions. 
However, constant friction 
with the military, failure to resolve endemic economic problems, and an 
inability to maintain public 
confidence undermined the Alfonsin Government's effectiveness, which left office 
six months early after 
Peronist candidate Carlos Saul Menem won the 1989 presidential elections.

As President, Menem launched a major overhaul of Argentine domestic policy. 
Large-scale structural 
reforms have dramatically reversed the role of the state in Argentine economic 
life. A decisive leader 
pressing a controversial agenda, Menem has not been reluctant to use the 
presidency's extensive powers to 
issue decrees advancing modernization when the congress was unable to reach 
consensus on his proposed 
reforms. Those powers were curtailed somewhat when the constitution was reformed 
in 1994 as a result of 
the so-called Olivos Pact with the opposition Radical Party. That arrangement 
opened the way for Menem 
to seek and win reelection with 50% of the vote in the three-way 1995 
presidential race. 

The 1995 election saw the emergence of the moderate left FREPASO political 
alliance. This alternative to 
the traditional two main political parties in Argentina is particularly strong 
in Buenos Aires, but as yet 
lacks the national infrastructure of the Peronist and Radical parties. In an 
important development in 
Argentina's political life, all three major parties in the 1999 race espouse 
free market economic policies.

Argentina held mid-term congressional elections in October 1997. The opposition 
UCR-FREPASO 
alliance made major gains in the number of seats it held and deprived the 
Peronists of an absolute majority. 
The elections are widely seen as setting the stage for the 1999 presidential 
race. The government's pro-
market policies remain unchallenged, but continued high unemployment and growing 
public concern over 
corruption have hurt the government's standing in public opinion polls. 

FOREIGN POLICY 

In foreign policy, Menem has dramatically made partnership with the United 
States the centerpiece of his 
approach. Argentina was the only Latin American country to participate in the 
Gulf war and all phases of 
the Haiti operation. It has contributed to UN peacekeeping operations worldwide, 
and has offered to send 
peacekeepers to Eastern Slavonia and police to the international Police Task 
force in Bosnia. It offered to 
send a military medical unit to the Gulf in support of the effort to secure 
Iraqi compliance with United 
Nations resolutions. In recognition of Argentina's contributions to 
international security and peacekeeping, 
the U.S. Government designated Argentina as a major non-NATO ally in January 
1998. Menem is an 
enthusiastic supporter of the Summit of the Americas process, which includes 
Argentina's decision to host 
the Second Specialized Inter-American Conference on Terrorism in November 1998, 
as called for in the 
Santiago Summit of the America Action Plan earlier that year.  At the UN, 
Argentina is one of the U.S.'s 
closest collaborators. The Menem Administration supports the U.S. campaign to 
improve human rights in 
Cuba and joins with the U.S. in international disarmament efforts, the fight 
against international terrorism 
and narcotics trafficking, and efforts to control global warming.  In November 
1998, Argentina also hosted 
the United Nations conference on climate change.   

Eager for closer ties to developed nations, Argentina has pursued relationships 
with the OECD and has left 
the Non-Aligned Movement. It has become a leading advocate of nonproliferation 
efforts worldwide. A 
strong proponent of enhanced regional stability in South America, Argentina has 
revitalized its relationship 
with Brazil; settled lingering border disputes with Chile; served with the U.S., 
Brazil, and Chile as one of 
the four guarantors of the Ecurador-Peru peace process; and restored diplomatic 
relations with the United 
Kingdom. In September 1995, Argentina and the UK signed an agreement to promote 
oil and gas 
exploration in the Southwest Atlantic, defusing a potentially difficult issue 
and opening the way to further 
cooperation between the two nations.  In 1998, President Menem visited the UK in 
the first official visit by 
an Argentine President since the 1960's.

Principal Government Officials

President--Carlos Saul Menem
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Guido Di Tella
Ambassador to the United States--Diego Guelar 
Ambassador to the Organization of American States-Julio Caesar Araoz
Ambassador to the United Nations--Fernando Petrella

Argentina maintains an embassy in the United States at 1600 New Hampshire Ave. 
NW, Washington DC 
20009 (tel. 202-939-6400; FAX 202-332-3171). It has consular offices in the 
following locations:

Atlanta: 
245 Peachtree Center Ave., Suite 2101
Atlanta, GA 30303
Tel: (404) 880-0805; Fax: (404) 880-0806

Chicago:
205 North Michigan Ave., Suite 4209
Chicago, IL 60601
Tel: (312) 819-2620; Fax (312) 819-2612

Houston:
1990 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 770
Houston, TX 77056
Tel: (713) 871-8935; Fax (713) 871-1639

Los Angeles:
5055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 210
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tel: (213) 954-9155 fax (713) 871-9076

Miami:
800 Brickell Ave. PH1
Miami, FL 33131
Tel: (305) 373-7794; Fax: (305) 371-7108

New York:
12 West 56th St.
New York, NY 10019
Tel: (212) 603-0400; Fax: (212) 541-7746

Washington, DC:
1718 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20009
Tel: (202) 797-8826

Office of the Economic and Trade Representative
1901 L St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 56-4475 

OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION:

American Chamber of Commerce in Argentina
Viamonte 1133, 8th floor
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel: (54)(1) 371-4500; Fax: (54)(1) 371-8400
Home page: http://www.amchamarg.com 

U.S. Department of Commerce
Office of Latin America and the Caribbean
International Trade Administration
14th and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: 202-482-2436; 1-800-USA-TRADE; Fax: 202-482-4726; Internet: 
http://www.ita.doc.gov

Automated fax service for trade-related information: 202-482-4464.

TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION

The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Travel 
Warnings and Consular 
Information Sheets. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department 
recommends that Americans 
avoid travel to a certain country. Consular Information Sheets exist for all 
countries and include 
information on immigration practices, currency regulations, health conditions, 
areas of instability, crime 
and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the 
country.

Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly 
about terrorist threats and 
other relatively short-term conditions overseas which pose significant risks to 
the security of American 
travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau 
of Consular Affairs at 202-
647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Travel Warnings and 
Consular Information 
Sheets also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: 
http://travel.state.gov and the 
Consular Affairs Bulletin Board (CABB). To access CABB, dial the modem number: 
(301-946-4400 (it 
will accommodate up to 33,600 bps), set terminal communications program to N-8-1 
(no parity, 8 bits, 1 
stop bit); and terminal emulation to VT100. The login is travel and the password 
is info (Note: Lower case 
is required). The CABB also carries international security information from the 
Overseas Security 
Advisory Council and Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Consular 
Affairs Trips for Travelers 
publication series, which contain information on obtaining passports and 
planning a safe trip abroad, can 
be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing 
Office, P.O. Box 371954, 
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954; telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.

Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from 
the Office of 
Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, 
Sundays and holidays, call 
202-647-4000.

Passport Services information can be obtained by calling the 24-hour, 7-day a 
week automated system 
($.35 per minute) or live operators 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday ($1.05 
per minute). The number 
is 1-900-225-5674 (TDD: 1-900-225-7778). Major credit card users (for a flat 
rate of $4.95) may call 1-
888-362-8668 (TDD: 1-888-498-3648).

Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention 
in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at (404) 332-4559 gives the most recent health 
advisories, immunization 
recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety 
for regions and countries. 
A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS publication 
number CDC-95-8280) is 
available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. 
(202) 512-1800.

Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs 
regulations, legal holidays, and 
other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your departure 
from a country's embassy 
and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government 
Officials" listing in this 
publication).

U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are 
encouraged to register at the 
U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country (see "Principal U.S. Embassy Officials" 
listing in this publication). 
Registering with the embassy may help you to replace lost identity documents or 
help family members 
contact you in case of an emergency.

Further Electronic Information:

Department of State Foreign Affairs Network. Available on the Internet, DOSFAN 
provides timely, global 
access to official U.S. foreign policy information. Updated daily, DOSFAN 
includes Background Notes; 
Dispatch, the official magazine of U.S. foreign policy; daily press briefings; 
Country Commercial Guides; 
directories of key officers of foreign service posts; etc. DOSFAN's World Wide 
Web site is at 
http://www.state.gov.

U.S. Foreign Affairs on CD-ROM (USFAC). Published on an annual basis by the U.S. 
Department of 
State, USFAC archives information on the Department of State Foreign Affairs 
Network, and includes an 
array of official foreign policy information from 1990 to the present. Contact 
the Superintendent of 
Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 
15250-7954. To order, 
call (202) 512-1800 or fax (202) 512-2250.

National Trade Data Bank (NTDB). Operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, 
the NTDB contains a 
wealth of trade-related information, including Country Commercial Guides. It is 
available on the Internet 
(www.stat-usa.gov) and on CD-ROM. Call the NTDB Help-Line at (202) 482-1986 for 
more information.


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