From Buenos Aires to Colombo, discontent simmers under the surface of rebounding economies

LONDON/BUENOS AIRES/COLOMBO – Gustavo Raul Perez furrows his brow over a notebook at the hardware shop he has run for six years on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Since Javier Milei became president of Argentina in 2023 — with Perez’s vote — rapid reforms have thrilled investors and won praise from the International Monetary Fund. Perez, though, mainly feels the pinch.