Economists and COVID-19: The Case of Argentina

The chapter describes the theoretical and economic policy positions held during the pandemic by two diverging groups of economists in Argentina: on the one hand, the government’s economic team and associated professional and academic economists following the structuralist/heterodox school of thought; on the other hand, a group of heterogeneous, influential domestic economists adhering to more orthodox/liberalist economic and political ideas. The analysis presented here focuses on the diverging positions and reactions around three areas: (i) whether containment measures such as lockdowns were to be adopted permanently, and if they were the most appropriate; (ii) the evaluation of the economic relief policies being implemented; (iii) how to face the issue of financing under a dollar shortage.