He almost lost all his savings in the Corralito, but he knew how to outwit it and now has a photographic tourism company: the story of Fernando Skliarevsky

The Argentines They had to go through numerous economic crises throughout its history. Management errors, plans with devastating results, such as Playpenand international problems led to a hostile environment for investing in a own business and remain stable to project into the future.

However, there were cases of workers who knew how to overcome the economic obstacles who showed up month after month, and invested in the right items at the right time, rising from necessity. That’s the story of Fernando Skliarevskywho almost lost his savings in the crisis of 2001 and now has a very successful national tourism company.

Historical context of 2001

The Argentine economic crisis of 2001 It was the result of a series of economic and political factors that accumulated over the years. In the late 1990s, Argentina faced a deep recession that was worsened by increased interest payments on foreign debt and loss of competitiveness. In the government of Carlos Menem was adopted Convertibility Lawwhich equalized the value of the Argentine currency with the dollar, and was known as “one to one.”

The situation became critical in 2001, when the government decided to abandon the fixed exchange rate regime with the US dollar, which led to a devaluation of the Argentine peso and hyperinflation. This caused a widespread social and economic crisis, with mass protests and the resignation of two presidents in a short period of time. The crisis culminated in December 2001, when Argentina declared the largest debt default in international history. The situation left millions of Argentines in poverty and had a lasting impact on the country’s economy and society.

What was the Corralito

He playpen was an economic measure implemented by the Argentine government in December 2001, during the presidency of Fernando de la Rua. This consisted of restricting the withdrawal of bank deposits, limiting the amount of money that citizens could withdraw from their checking accounts, savings accounts and fixed deposits. The decree was signed on December 1, 2001 and came into effect two days later. The maximum possible to draw at the beginning of the measure was 250 dollars a day. This was not enough to cover the basic needs of the majority of the population.

Crisis 2001 December 2001 Economic Crisis Corralito De la Rúa Incidents Plaza de Mayo

Jorge Pérez/Financial Area Archive

The main purpose of the playpen was stop capital flight and protect the financial system from total collapse. The measure caused great indignation and discontent among the population, since many Argentines They were unable to access their savings in a time of crisis severe economic Many Argentines found themselves unable to access their funds, exacerbating poverty and inequality.

In addition, the prohibition of money transfers abroad and the limitation of cash withdrawals paralyzed a large part of the informal economywhich depended on these financial movements. This led to a series of mass protests and social unrest that culminated in De la Rúa’s resignation on December 20, 2001.

The strategy of journalist Fernando Skliarevsky

Fernando worked at the tourism magazine “Adventure Time“until it closed because of the Playpen. With no other options, he launched himself as a freelancer, doing notes and photographs for different media. Not receiving payment for a job, he returned to his Mar del Plata native with the little he could recover. That’s when he saw an opportunity in a truck for sale: I would invest in photographic safaris to prevent your money from being devalued due to the crisis of 2001.

This moment marked a turning point in his life. At 59 years old, Fernando clearly remembers how this decision led him to The Grottoesa spa in the province of Río Negro. There he founded “Desert Tracks“, a company dedicated to offering excursions. The purchase of the truck not only allowed him to make smart use of his money, but also change the direction of your career and his life, far from the sea where he was born.

The friendship played a crucial role in its success. During his years as a journalist, Fernando made valuable friends and important contacts. one of them was Sergio ‘Flecha’ Péreza Patagonian cameraman who convinced him to take the truck to Las Grutas. Since then, the adventures and excursions offered by his company have not stopped, consolidating itself as a reference in the region.