The so called “blue” dollar was climbing 18 cents to 13.73 pesos wih few operations being registered, amid fears the government would setp up controls in the foreign exchange market. The official rate of the American currency remained at 8.565 pesos.
On Monday, the foreign exchange market got reheated with the “blue” dollar climbing 17 cents to 13.55 pesos amid higher demands for greenbacks and «speculation» maneuvers.
Following the Christmas break that halted banking operations over the past days, tourists’ apetite for greenbacks took the parallel rate of the American currency above 13.60 pesos. However, the government said Monday’s climb was a result of “speculation of a group of bankers who tried to take the dollar value to around 14 (pesos).”
Same government sources quoted by the ámbito.com news website, indeed added that on Sunday’s night three important men from the local banking sector “held a toast in (the Uruguayan city of) Punta del Este and wished for a 14-peso-floor for 2015”.
Facing such alleged speculation maneuvers, the government launched a new round of controls managing to stop greenbacks’ rush in the informal market.
The “blue” dollar had already seen another significant surge last week when on Tuesday it jumped 20 cents to 13.38 pesos.
Meanwhile, the blue-chip swap rate yesterday dropped only one cent reaching 11.26 pesos.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald