Economic Diplomacy and Argentina’s Foreign Debt During the Last Military Dictatorship 1976–1983

This article focuses on the evolution of Argentine debt in the light of economic policy conducted during the last military dictatorship (1976–1983). The text uses a framework of structural functionalism to analyze the decision problem faced by the Argentine generals – the need to choose measures to ensure the financial stability of the regime. The means chosen to achieve this goal was to apply for international credits. The article analyzes the factors that contributed to the dictatorship’s foreign borrowing policy, discusses the activities of Argentine economic diplomacy under the leadership of Minister Martínez de Hoz, presents the challenges in obtaining foreign credits during the presidency of Jimmy Carter in the U.S., and discusses the consequences of excessive foreign borrowings.