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U.S. Treasury’s Bessent Halts Argentina Trip After Milei Skips FIFA Draw

The pause heightens doubts over further U.S. financial support ahead of early‑2026 debt rollovers for Argentina.

Overview

  • Treasury sources confirmed that Secretary Scott Bessent indefinitely suspended his early‑December visit to Buenos Aires.
  • The move followed President Javier Milei’s decision to forgo the Dec. 5 World Cup 2026 draw in Washington, where he had been invited to sit with President Donald Trump and FIFA’s Gianni Infantino.
  • Reports from Washington described displeasure inside the administration and read the twin cancellations as a cooling of the political alignment.
  • Bessent has been central to Argentina’s recent market backstop, including a partial activation of a roughly $20 billion currency swap and peso purchases around the October elections.
  • The suspended trip injects uncertainty into potential new credit measures as Argentina confronts about $5 billion in January 2026 maturities and faces U.S. political scrutiny of further assistance.