As Argentina's peso careened toward oblivion, the country's government begged IMF officials for more money. The organization in June 2018 had already agreed to a bailout expected to total more than $50 billion over three years, the largest in the fund's history. But it wasn't working, and as the currency crisis accelerated toward the end of August, there was little else that could be done.
In September, IMF officials visited Buenos Aires and agreed to provide about $7 billion more. The new funds came with drastic conditions attached. Argentina's central bank, Banco Central de la