The Argentine government acquired Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to pay interest on its external debt. Economy Minister Luis Caputo explained this maneuver. He emphasized that this is a common operation carried out at market price. "We buy them from the United States because they are sellers of SDRs," the official stated. Through an SDR sale operation, Washington transferred $808 million to Argentina, allowing the country to cover its overdue interest payments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The operation involved the transfer of reserve assets from the U.S. Treasury to Argentine accounts in exchange for convertible currency. This financial engineering allows the country to meet its obligations to the multilateral body without draining its physical dollar reserves. Caputo also commented on reports that U.S. presidential aide Scott Bessent had provided financial assistance to Argentina, calling it "false." He explained that the country is simply paying interest to the IMF in SDRs. "If we paid in dollars, we would transfer them directly to the Fund, but since payment is in SDRs, they must be purchased," the minister added.
