Argentine Finance Minister Jorge Remes Lenicov briefs the media after
the first day sessions at the Inter-American Development Bank's 43rd
annual meeting, in Fortaleza, March 11, 2002. Lenicov made an urgent
plea for renewed lending from the International Monetary Fund to avert
a financial collapse. Argentina declared default on its $141 billion
public debt in December, 2001 and its currency has lost half its value
since devaluation in January. REUTERS/Jamil Bittar

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