Argentina’s financial scoreboard had a strong June: a credit-rating upgrade, country risk near an eight-year low, a record trade surplus, and faster-than-expected reserve accumulation. But many Argentines are still living on a different clock, marked by company closures, precarious jobs, and weak consumption.

In Episode 4 of The Argentina Brief, Francisco Aldaya and Daniel Politi unpack the two-speed economy, Manuel Adorni’s undeclared-cash scandal in his final weeks in office, and why it matters for Milei’s anti-caste brand. They also look at Argentina’s strange new AI pitch: companies run entirely by artificial intelligence, with Fran drawing on his interview with Federico Sturzenegger to break down what the proposal actually says, as Milei sells the idea abroad and Yuval Noah Harari warns of the risks.

Then football enters the picture: Messi as a political loyalty test and what Buenos Aires looks like during a Selección match. For Sobremesa, Allie Lazar joins to talk Argentine asado culture, the national team’s beef shipment to Kansas City, and where to find the best empanadas in Buenos Aires.

Editor’s note: This episode was recorded on June 25, before Manuel Adorni’s resignation. The conversation reflects how the scandal was being understood at the time.