Becoming a serious country
Argentina has a big opportunity to reverse its history of decline. But it will need to draw the right lessons from the past, says Michael Reid
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FROM Wednesdays to Saturdays, a would-be diner who turns up at a restaurant in the fashionable Barrio Norte of Buenos Aires at 9pm without a reservation may have to wait for an hour or more for a table. Calle Florida, the pedestrianised shopping street running parallel to the River Plate, is thronged with tourists taking advantage of the cheap peso and the shiny new shops selling fashion, consumer electronics and books. Farmers from the Pampas are splashing out on new harvesting machines and pick-up trucks.
This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “Becoming a serious country”
From the June 5th 2004 edition
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