by Rafa » Fri 16 Dec 2005, 21:41:20
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lakeweb', 'B')ecause the IMF loaned in dollars, repayment was required in dollars.
Talking of the IMF... Brazil declared that it will pay all its remaining IMF debth by this year, Argentina quickly followed and said the same, Venezuela helping.
Now, Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela are members of Mercosur, an economic and now political block (all member countries stressed the need to change the economic to political focus); and finishing the debt to IMF means those countries won't need anymore to get dollars to pay to the IMF;
Venezuela already converted all its dollars resserves into other currencies (mainly euros);
Mercosur needs in energy (oil and NG), agricultural goods, manufactured goods and services are quickly being covered by non monetary exchanges (eg: Venezuela gives oil to Argentina, Argentina gives beef and crop to Venezuela), that is, no need of dollars here too.
There is also a project, lead by Venezuela, to create an "investment bank of the south" so countries needing loans could get them from there instead of from the IMF.
If you connect the dots... it seems that there is a conscious plan in south America to cut the links with the USA, so they won't be taken in the fall when the US economy falls.