BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Last week, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC), the Argentine government's statistics agency, released the official inflation figure for the month of July: 0.4 percent. Such a report would have caused jubilation among the Argentine public, had they believed it. "It's a lie," responded Yamila, a local drama teacher, without hesitation when asked about the figure. The coordinators of the INDEC report appear to be the only ones who have failed to notice the recent price increases in Buenos Aires. Charles, a French researcher who has resided here for the last three months, scoffed at the government estimate, claiming that he now pays nearly a third more for a pack of cigarettes than when he arrived.
Argentine Public Dubious of Government Inflation Numbers
