Argentine President Javier Milei has signaled an imminent agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), aiming to secure fresh funding to stabilize the country’s fragile economy, the Rio Times reported. Speaking during his annual address to Congress, Milei framed the deal as essential for addressing Argentina’s chronic economic challenges, including inflation, currency restrictions, and fiscal imbalances. Milei’s government plans to use the IMF funds, estimated at $11 billion, to replenish the Central Bank’s depleted reserves and reduce Treasury debt owed to the Central Bank.

He is a college dropout who hawked energy drinks as a teen and sold Oreos to make rent. Under “skills” on LinkedIn, he listed “hustling expert.” Last month, Hayden Davis, 28 years old, became the face of the highest-profile cryptocurrency scandal since the implosion of FTX in 2022, one that has ensnared Argentine President Javier Milei, the Wall Street Journal reported. Propelled by self-confidence and networking savvy, Davis went from cookie seller to erstwhile crypto king, according to interviews and a review of more than a decade of social-media posts, podcasts and blog posts.

Argentina’s economy expanded more than expected in December, solidifying the country’s bounceback in the last quarter of the year under President Javier Milei’s watch, Bloomberg News reported. Economic activity rose 0.5% from November, more than the 0.2% median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Monthly growth beat expectations the previous month, too. From a year ago, the gross domestic product proxy grew 5.5%, compared with the median estimate of 3.5%, according to government data published Tuesday.

Argentina’s President Javier Milei warned Telefonica SA that his government will review the phone carrier’s plan to sell its local operations to Telecom Argentina SA for a possible breach of anti-monopoly rules, Bloomberg News reported. Telefonica signed and closed the $1.25 billion deal on Monday after more than three decades in the country, according to a regulatory filing. The Spanish carrier has been working since late 2019 to cut its exposure to Latin America.

Brazilian airline Azul expects to go "back to basics" and be able to focus more on its operations this year, Chief Executive John Rodgerson said, after a challenging 2024 marked by some market disruptions and a major debt restructuring, Reuters reported. "I am excited about 2025. It can't be worse than 2024," he told Reuters in an interview as the carrier reported on Monday fourth-quarter core earnings slightly above market expectations, with full-year figures matching its previously released outlook.

Peru's gross domestic product (GDP) will likely expand by 4% this year and rank as the second-fastest growing economy in Latin America, a senior official told reporters on Monday, as inflation is seen holding for another year at around 2%, Reuters reported. The Andean economy is bouncing back from recession, with the government of President Dina Boluarte and the central bank forecasting positive prospects for 2025, including fewer inflationary pressures and more investment.

Brazilian cosmetics maker Natura &Co is in exclusive talks with asset manager IG4 for the potential sale of Avon's operations outside Latin America, it said on Thursday, sending its shares higher, Reuters reported.

Telefonica decided to start insolvency proceedings for its Peruvian subsidiary, aiming to achieve its restructuring, MarketWatch.com reported. The Spanish telecommunications company said late Friday that Telefonica Hispanoamerica--the group's unit that includes assets and operations in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela--has granted a credit facility of up to 1.55 billion Peruvian soles, equivalent to $403.8 million, and with a maturity of 18 months, to meet operational cash requirements of Telefonica del Peru.

Brazil inflation edged down at the start of the year, as one-time energy credits provided consumers temporary relief from simmering price pressures, Bloomberg News reported. Official data released Tuesday showed consumer prices rose 4.56% from a year earlier, just under the 4.58% median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists and down from December’s pace of 4.83%. On the month, they increased 0.16%. The central bank is planning to take the benchmark Selic to 14.25% next month, marking its third-straight full-point hike, to bring down prices.

Brazil analysts revised up 12-month inflation expectations to further above the central bank’s goal, even after policymakers increased the benchmark interest rate by a full percentage point last month and pledged another hike of the same magnitude in March, Bloomberg News reported. Consumer prices are forecast to rise 5.87% in the 12 months, compared with 5.74% in the previous report, according to a weekly survey of economists published on Monday.