Trump eyes another $20B for Argentina via ‘private-sector solution’

Eleanor Mueller

Congress Reporter, Semafor

Updated Oct 15, 2025, 11:53am PDT

Politics

Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters

  

“We think of it as … an economic Monroe Doctrine in terms of the Western Hemisphere” rather than a way to stop economic instability from spreading to the US, Bessent said later. 

“We’re seeing that we’re having to intervene militarily with the narcotraffic coming out of Venezuela,” Bessent said, referring to Trump’s military strikes on alleged drug boats. 

“Much better to use the heft of the US economic power rather than have to use military power.” 

The News

The Trump administration is in talks for a “private-sector solution” that would funnel $20 billion toward Argentina’s “upcoming debt payments,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Wednesday.

Officials have worked “for weeks” on the new opportunity to help Argentina, Bessent said, adding that private banks and sovereign wealth funds have already expressed interest. It comes as the US also prepares to swap $20 billion of its stable dollars for volatile Argentinian pesos.

“We are working on a $20 billion facility that would be adjacent to our [currency] swap line,” Bessent said, adding that some US currency was exchanged earlier Wednesday. “So that would be a total of $40 billion for Argentina.”

The Trump administration is seeking to steady the Argentinian economy before voters decide on Oct. 26 whether to hand more power to the party of President Javier Milei, a Trump ally who has pursued a cost-cutting agenda. After Trump said this week that officials would not “waste our time” if Milei’s party suffers losses, Bessent on Wednesday clarified that the aid “is not election-specific, it is policy-specific.”

 

The World at a Glance

Updated 3:28pm PDT

1

Apple CEO Tim Cook vowed to increase investment in China, amid rising trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

2

The IMF issued a stark warning over soaring global government debt, saying it is on track to exceed 100% of GDP by 2029.

3

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa  met Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Wednesday as Moscow’s influence in the Middle East wanes.

4

A fragile Gaza ceasefire held, after Hamas returned more deceased hostages’ remains following Israel’s threat to halve aid.

5

Donald Trump said a $20B bailout for Argentina was contingent on Javier Milei’s party prevailing in elections this month.

6

The US carried out another strike on a vessel off the Venezuelan coast, escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.

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