Tuesday Feb 21, 2023 - Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa, Carlos Alcaraz wins, Chinese automaker Chery Inc in Argentina

These are some of the Trending news in Argentina on Tuesday February 21st, 2023.

Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa has confirmed he won't be running for president while still in his current post, according to a recent interview with CNN en Español. This comes after Massa was previously seen as a possible candidate for the upcoming presidential election in October. Despite missing his target of reducing inflation to less than 4% in April, Massa says he remains committed to reducing inflation to 60% this year. However, Argentine traders and economists are sceptical. In addition, the country's growing peso debt and inability to borrow abroad presents a major challenge for Massa and his team. The government is currently in talks with local banks for a voluntary refinancing to extend maturities to 2025.

Carlos Alcaraz, the 19-year-old Spanish tennis star, has won the final of the Argentina Open against Cameron Norrie. Alcaraz captured his seventh career title, and his first since winning the US Open in September, and becoming the youngest-ever world number one. This is his first tournament since a leg muscle tear in November last year. The win was made sweeter as he had to come back from a 2-3 deficit, winning the final 6-3, 7-5. Alcaraz has won five of his seven titles on clay courts, and next week he heads to Rio to defend his trophy from last year. This is a great comeback for the teenager who had to miss the Australian Open due to injury.

Chinese automaker Chery Inc. plans to build a $400 million electric vehicle and battery plant in Argentina, marking the country's ambitions to tap into its vast lithium deposits. The announcement comes as the global shift towards clean energy fuels a race for Andean lithium supplies. Argentina and neighbouring Chile are in talks with Brazil to create a joint industry based on this metal for batteries. The country hopes that lithium, a raw material found in abundance in Argentina, will not become a curse, but rather an opportunity for investment and employment.

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