translated from Spanish: World lawmakers asked IMF and World Bank to write off debts

More than 300 lawmakers around the world, including more than 40 from the Argentine Congress, proposed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank cancel the debt of “most vulnerable” countries and increase funds to avert a crisis in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, they requested extensive debt forgiveness for the countries of the International Development Association (IFA) by the main International Financial Institutions (IFIs) during the crisis generated by the pandemic. The presentation “urges all G20 leaders through these IFIs to support the cancellation of the debt obligations of all IDA countries during this unprecedented pandemic.” Temporary suspension and debt deferral will not be sufficient to help these countries fully prioritize the rapid and sustainable management of the crisis in question,” the statement warned. The initiative is led by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who also calls for “supporting a major issue of Special Drawing Rights (S.A.) to provide developing countries with urgent financial support.” In this regard, they called on World Bank holders David Malpass and the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, “to take strong leadership to provide broad debt relief and financial assistance to all impoverished nations at greatest risk of the devastating human costs and lasting economic injuries left by COVID-19.” We ask you to work with relevant bilateral and multilateral partners to provide a response within a fortnight of receiving this letter,” the document said. In addition, a copy of the letter was sent to President Alberto Fernández.Among the 300 legislators of the world who signed the text, it was sent by Argentina by former President and current Senator Carlos Menem, ;the provisional president of the upper house, Claudia Ledesma Abdala de Zamora; and Senators Ana Claudia Almirón, Inés Blas, Carlos Caserio, Maurice Closs, María de los Angeles Sacnun, Nora del Valle Giménez, Martín Doñate, Norma Durango, María Eugenia Duré, Carlos Mauricio Espínola, Anabel Fernández Sagasti, Silvina García Larraburu, María Teresa González, Nancy González, Ana María Ianni, Edgardo Kueider and Sergio Leavy.In addition, they signed the missive Cristina López Valverde, Daniel Lovera, Alfredo Luenzo, , Dalmacio Mera, Roberto Mirabella, Beatriz Mirkin, Gerardo Montenegro, José Emilio Neder, Juan Mario Pais, Oscar Parrilli, María Inés Pilatti Vergara, Mariano Recalde, Antonio Rodas, Matías Rodríguez, Adolfo Rodríguez Saá, Silvia Sapag, Guillermo Snopek, Jorge Taiana and Rubén Uñac, and members Itai Hagman and Federico Fagioli.

Original source in Spanish