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The broken sword on this statue of a revolutionary war soldier on San Martin Plaza may be an apt metaphor for the condition of his country at the time of our visit in December, 2002. A year earlier, Argentina had defaulted on $130-$140 billion of foreign and domestic debts -- the larget default in the history of the world. The country, in essence, is bankrupt. Its peso has plunged in value. Public works, such as this statue, go unrepaired. Many Portenos are now homeless, hungry, and need help the country can't afford to give them.
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South America
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