Eva Row, a blogger for La cosa y la causa (The thing and the cause), writes [1] about the Ciccone printing house [2], related to allegations against Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou [3]. Ciccone printing house had a large technical capacity, unused due to its poor economic situation:
(Ciccone) adeudaba a la Afip (Administración General de Ingresos Públicos [4]) $239 millones de pesos. […] el gobierno siempre aspiró a devolver a la Casa de la Moneda la impresión de nuestros billetes, por una cuestión ideológica de independencia y soberanía. Pero el desguace de la Casa de Moneda como impresora de billetes llevaba larga data […] El gobierno expresa la decisión de estatizar Ciccone para que sea absorbida por la Casa de Moneda. Para eso la Afip pide su quiebra y la Casa de Moneda se presenta como aspirante
(Ciccone) owed the General Administration of Public Revenues [4] $239 million pesos [about three million dollars]. […] the government always wanted to give back the National Mint the service of printing our bills, out of ideological independence and sovereignty. But the dismantling of the National Mint as bill printer was an old issue […]. The government expresses its decision of nationalize Ciccone for it to be taken over by the National Mint. So, the General Administration of Public Revenues asks for its bankruptcy and the National Mint shows up as applicant.
However, the judge who had to rule on the bankruptcy decided to give Ciccone to another firm and the Defense of Competency Committee weighed in. Although Ciccone will finally be nationalized, there have been allegations of mismanagement by the government and judiciary all along the way.
Follow Eva Row on Twitter [5].