Martín Lousteau (born 8 December 1970) is an Argentine economist and politician of the
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union (, UCR) is a major political party in Argentina. It has reached the national government on ten occasions, making it one of the most historically important parties in the country. Ideologically, the party has stood for r ...
(UCR). He is a
National Senator for the
City of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
. Since 2023, he has been President of the UCR National Committee.
He was
Minister of Economy under the administration of
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and former politician who served as the 56th president of Argentina from 2007 to 2015, and later as the 37th Vice ...
, from December 2007 to April 2008. At the age of 37, he was the youngest person to occupy this office in more than five decades.
Lousteau served as the
Argentine Ambassador to the United States from 2015 to 2017. In 2017, Lousteau joined the
UCR but was not part of
Cambiemos
(JxC, ) was a political coalition in Argentina. A liberal coalition, it was created in 2015 as Cambiemos (), and renamed in 2019. It was composed of Republican Proposal, Radical Civic Union, Civic Coalition ARI and United Republicans.
These ...
in the
Argentine Congress
The National Congress of Argentina () is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Senate and a 257-seat Chamber of Deputies. The Senate, a third of whose members are elected to ...
.
From 2013 to 2019, he was a
National Deputy, representing
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
. He resigned his bench at the Chamber of Deputies to be sworn in as Senator on 10 December 2019.
Early career
Lousteau was born in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
to Guillermo Lousteau Heguy and Mabel Gellón. He graduated from
Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires. He is a
Licentiate in Economics (graduated ''
summa cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
'' from the
Universidad de San Andrés
Universidad (Spanish for "university") may refer to:
Places
* Universidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico
* Universidad (Madrid)
Football clubs
* Universidad SC, a Guatemalan football club that represents the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
...
), and a
Master of Science
A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...
in Economics (at the
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
). He taught as a postgraduate professor at the
Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, and as graduate professor at the
Universidad de San Andrés
Universidad (Spanish for "university") may refer to:
Places
* Universidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico
* Universidad (Madrid)
Football clubs
* Universidad SC, a Guatemalan football club that represents the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
...
.
He is the author of ''Sin Atajos'' (''No Shortcuts'', 2005), a history of Argentina's economic crises, with
Javier González Fraga; and ''Hacia un Federalismo Solidario'' (''Towards a Cooperative Federalism''), as well as specialized works and journalistic articles that have been published in Argentina and abroad. Lousteau had also been a
tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
instructor (which he quit because of an injury), and worked as a
war correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories first-hand from a war, war zone.
War correspondence stands as one of journalism's most important and impactful forms. War correspondents operate in the most conflict-ridden parts of the wor ...
in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
for the magazines ''El Planeta Urbano'' and ''
La Razón'' before the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
.
Lousteau served as chief economist and later director of APL Economía, a consulting firm founded by former Central Bank President
Alfonso Prat-Gay, and went on to hold various public offices as well as positions in the private sector. He was appointed Adviser to the President of the
Central Bank of Argentina
The Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (, BCRA) is the central bank of Argentina, being an autarchic entity.
Article 3 of the Organic Charter lists the objectives of this Institution: “The bank aims to promote, to the extent of its powers ...
in 2003, for whom he designed a
bank matching scheme for the payment of the
discount window
Discount may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Discount (band), punk rock band that formed in Vero Beach, Florida in 1995 and disbanded in 2000
* ''Discount'' (film), French comedy-drama film
* "Discounts" (song), 2020 single by American rapper C ...
loans; and served in the Central Bank's Committee on Monetary Policy until 2004). He was appointed by Governor
Felipe Solá as Minister of Production of
Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires, officially the Buenos Aires Province, is the largest and most populous Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of the province an ...
in 2005, and late that year was named Chairman of the
Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires
The Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires (), better known as Banco Provincia, is a publicly owned bank in Argentina and the second-largest in the country by value of assets and deposits.
History
The progressive Governor of the Province of Bueno ...
and of its parent company, the BAPRO Group, where he served from 2005 until his designation as Economy Minister in December 2007. He later co-founded a business consulting firm, LCG, with Gastón Rossi.
[
]
Minister of Economy
Lousteau was the first minister of economy of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and former politician who served as the 56th president of Argentina from 2007 to 2015, and later as the 37th Vice ...
. There was a dispute in the cabinet at the time between Julio de Vido, Ricardo Jaime and Guillermo Moreno, and Alberto Fernández
Alberto Ángel Fernández (; born 2 April 1959) is an Argentine politician, lawyer, and academic who served as President of Argentina from 2019 to 2023. He was also the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers from 2003 to 2008. His tenure as Cabin ...
, Graciela Ocaña, Jorge Taiana and Carlos Tomada. Lousteau sided with Alberto Fernández, as he did not share the economic views of De Vido and Moreno. Fernández had promised him that both of them would be removed from government in a short time. Lousteau wrote a report for the president on the figures of the national economy, praising several aspects of the tenure of Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner Ostoić (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007. A member of the Justicialist Party, he previously served as Governor of Sa ...
, but warning about the growing inflation
In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of curre ...
. This report was dismissed by Néstor Kirchner, who did not have an actual office but remained an influential figure. He also proposed to gradually reduce the subsidies to energy consumption, to eventually abandon the fixed price
A fixed price is a price designated for a good or a service that is neither subject to bargaining nor bartering. The price may be fixed since the seller has placed it, or given that the price is managed by the authorities under price regulati ...
system established during the 2001 crisis. Cristina Kirchner did not support his proposal.
The salient feature of his tenure was the controversy surrounding his decision to increase soybean export taxes, which were previously fixed at 35%, and to have them fluctuate in line with global prices for the crop. This has been claimed as the major cause of the protests in the Argentine countryside which took place in early 2008. Lousteau was heavily involved in talks with farmers' leaders but was later sidelined.
Lousteau was rumored as early as two months into his tenure to have declared his intention to resign as a result of disputes with fellow ministers, particularly Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno. He denied he would resign; but there was nevertheless continued speculation on his resignation or replacement in the wake of the agrarian crisis. Lousteau resigned on 24 April 2008, with the tax agency chief Carlos Fernández replacing him.
According to ''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'', his brief tenure was clouded from the outset by interference from former President Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner Ostoić (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007. A member of the Justicialist Party, he previously served as Governor of Sa ...
's allies. Lousteau's policy initiatives often seemed to be eclipsed by those of Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno, a Kirchner loyalist described as "the administration's price policeman."
Later work
Following his dismissal Lousteau contributed a weekly opinion column for the conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
daily ''La Nación
''La Nación'' () is an Argentine daily newspaper. As the country's leading conservative newspaper, ''La Nación''s main competitor is the more liberal ''Clarín (Argentine newspaper), Clarín''. It is regarded as a newspaper of record for Argen ...
'' and published two best-selling books on economic theory and history, ''Economía 3-D'' (2011) and ''Otra vuelta a la economía'' (2012). He received a Yale World Fellowship in 2012.
Politics in Buenos Aires
Lousteau joined the UNEN coalition, led by the centrist UCR, and was nominated to their City of Buenos Aires party list
An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can c ...
for Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
in the 2013 mid-term elections. He was one of five UNEN candidates elected to Congress for the City of Buenos Aires; but ongoing differences with caucus leader Elisa Carrió
Elisa María Avelina "Lilita" Carrió (born 26 December 1956) is an Argentine lawyer, professor, and politician. She is the leader of Civic Coalition ARI, one of the founders of Cambiemos, and was Argentine Chamber of Deputies, National Deputy f ...
led Lousteau to form his own faction (Suma + UNEN), joined by UNEN Congressmen relying in grassroots action in the UCR.
He ran for mayor in 2015 backed by centre-left
Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commo ...
coalition called ECO (''Energía Ciudadana Organizada''), and was narrowly defeated by Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. In these elections, PRO
Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional".
Pro, PRO or variants thereof might also refer to:
People
* Miguel Pro (1891–1927), Mexican priest
* Pro Hart (1928–2006), Australian painter
* Mlungisi Mdluli (born 1980), South African ret ...
was stronger in wealthier northern Buenos Aires, while ECO was stronger in the southern, poorer neighborhoods of the city.
He was appointed ambassador of Argentina to the United States by president Mauricio Macri
Mauricio Macri (; born 8 February 1959) is an Argentine businessman and politician who served as President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019. He has been the leader of the Republican Proposal (PRO) party since its founding in 2005. He previously ...
in 2016, but he resigned the following year to run for National Deputy in the 2017 Argentine mid-term elections.
In 2017 mid-term elections, Lousteau ran heading the Evolución, which included the Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union (, UCR) is a major political party in Argentina. It has reached the national government on ten occasions, making it one of the most historically important parties in the country. Ideologically, the party has stood for r ...
and the Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...
. Despite coming in third with 12.3% of the vote, he and Carla Carrizo became National Deputies due to Argentina's proportional representation electoral system.
Personal life
Martín Lousteau married television actress Carla Peterson in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...
, in September 2011, and the couple had a son in January 2013, Gaspar Lousteau.
Written books
* Hacia un federalismo solidario (2003)
* Sin atajos (2005)
* Economía 3D: una nueva dimension para tus preguntas de siempre (2011)
* Otra vuelta a la economía (2012)
* Debajo del agua (2019)
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lousteau, Martin
1970 births
Living people
Politicians from Buenos Aires
Argentine people of French descent
Ministers of economy of Argentina
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Yale University fellows
Members of the Argentine Senate for Buenos Aires
Members of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies elected in Buenos Aires
Argentine deputies 2013–2015
Argentine deputies 2017–2019
Argentine agnostics
Ambassadors of Argentina to the United States
Argentine social democrats
Argentine political writers
Fernández de Kirchner administration cabinet members