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In one villa in the province of Tucuman, malnutrition has increased by over 600% in six months, and children are showing up in hospitals with Stage Three malnutrition symptoms. For the complete story , see Children Who Go Hungry in Articles section.

Of the current demands being made by the International Monetary Fund for renewed aid to Argentina, three have generated particular controversy and resistance from Argentine commentators, politicians and members of the populace: changes in the bankcruptcy law, a repeal of the law of economic subversion, and demands for a reduction of state spending in the provinces.

The changes in the bankruptcy law, which have been approved by Argentine legislative bodies, facilitate a process known as the "cram-down", which make it easier for foreign creditor companies to take over bankcrupt national companies,including the company's property. The revised bankcrupcy law has created fears among Argentines, who virtually have no national industry left because of privatization, that they will lose what few national companies they have left, causing not only job and property loss, but also an further loss of national sovereignty.

These fears have been particularly strong in the communications and culture industries, where commentators have pointed out that an "internationalization" of a country's cultural and communications industries can be a death blow to that country's national sovereignty and culture. Legislators are currently considering a rider to the new Bankruptcy Law that will exempt communications and culture industries.

The Law of Economic Subversion has recently been used by Argentine investigators to go after banks like Citibank who they claim illegally transferred large amounts of dollars out of the country, facilitating last year's economic collapse and causing thousands of middle and low income savers to lose their savings to the unpopular bank freeze. The IMF, whose members include the banks who have been investigated, wants this law eliminated, which has provoked heated debate among legislators, as well as street demonstrations. The repeal of this law is still being debated.

The cutbacks in provincial government spending that the IMF has requested have raised concerns that this will generate the loss of an additional 500,000 jobs in an already recession-wracked economy. However, most of the provinces have already agreed to IMF demands, with the notable exception of Felipe Sola of the province of Buenos Aires, who has called IMF demands unrealistic. "I don't know if I can even pay next months state salaries," he says.

During a recent heated legislative debate of the Bankruptcy and Economic Subversion laws, one legislator, Alicia Castro, raised the U.S. flag and said, "If you are going to pass these laws, you might as well take down the Argentine flag and put this one up instead." The U.S. is one of the most powerful members of the IMF. In the streets of Buenos Aires and other cities, demonstrations against what one sign held aloft by a protestor called "The International Misery Fund" are on the increase.