Latin America celebrates Greek austerity ‘No’ vote

 

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Latin America celebrates Greek austerity ‘No’ vote

AFP

Buenos Aires (AFP) – A handful of countries across Latin America congratulated Greece on its Sunday referendum in which voters rejected creditors’ austerity demands.

More than 60 percent of Greek voters said a resounding “No” to further austerity measures in return for bailout funds in a Sunday referendum that could see the country crash out of the eurozone.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, whose country defaulted on a mountain of debt more than a decade ago, called the vote a victory.

“Greece: decisive victory for democracy and dignity,” she wrote on Facebook Sunday, expressing Argentina’s “solidarity with the brave Greek people and their government.”

“We hope Europe and its leaders understand the message from the vote. You cannot require anyone to sign their own death certificate,” she said.

Argentina defaulted on $100 billion in debt in 2001, and in recent years has fought bitterly in the courts with investors who bought up some of that debt at fire-sale prices.