Argentina: Truce in three-week agricultural strike

The strike was launched in response to an increase in the so-called retenciones, or export taxes imposed upon the extraordinary profits being made by big producers from the country’s agricultural exports.

Martin Lousteau, the minister of the economy, justified the imposition of a sliding scale of taxes on agricultural products exported from the country as a means of avoiding a return of hyperinflation and of guaranteeing the availability of basic food supplies within the country. Lousteau indicated that the export tax hikes also served to avoid what has been referred to in Argentina as the “soyization” of the country.

Roots of the strike

By soyization what is meant is the exclusive domination of all agricultural land by the monoculture of soy production for export