Debt with the IMF: payments of 56 billion dollars and outstanding balance of 58 billion

El Destape figures on payments and debt

An article by El Destape dated June 30, 2026, states that between 2018 and June 2026, Argentina repaid more than 36 billion dollars in principal and nearly 20 billion in interest, totaling about 56 billion dollars. The same note indicates that the outstanding debt amounts to 42.552 billion SDRs, equivalent to around 58 billion dollars, and that the country received 64 billion dollars in total. The article does not cite specific sources for these figures, but mentions that the information is public in the IMF’s official statistics.

IMF projected payments table

The IMF’s official table, downloadable in TSV format and updated as of June 30, 2026, details projected payments from August 2026 onward, expressed in SDRs. It does not include payments made before that date. For example, for 2026 the total payments amount to 2,082,529,842 SDRs, and for 2027 to 5,650,460,371 SDRs. The table does not provide amounts in dollars or information on disbursements received.

Differences between sources

The main difference is that the IMF table is a primary source that only shows future projected payments, while El Destape is a secondary source that offers an interpretation of past and present payments. The table alone does not confirm the total amount paid of 56 billion dollars, as it does not record payments prior to August 2026. Additionally, El Destape uses US dollars, while the IMF uses SDRs. The conversion made by El Destape (42.552 billion SDRs equivalent to 58 billion dollars) does not specify the exchange rate or date. According to the IMF, the SDR/USD exchange rate as of June 30, 2026, was approximately 1.36, which would yield about 57.87 billion dollars, close to 58 billion.

What each document establishes

Context of indebtedness according to El Destape

The El Destape article argues that the return to the IMF in 2018 was a decision by the government of Mauricio Macri, who took on debt of about 100 billion dollars in two years and then turned to the organization. It also mentions that the government of Alberto Fernández refinanced in 2022 without new disbursements, and that the current administration (2025) approved a new program with additional disbursements of 20 billion dollars. The note does not cite specific sources for these figures, but they can be cross-checked with official IMF and Argentine Ministry of Economy statements.

Implications of future payments

The projected payments table shows that Argentina will have to continue making significant disbursements in the coming years: in 2027 alone, more than 5.65 billion SDRs (about 7.7 billion dollars, at the mentioned exchange rate). El Destape points out that the IMF imposes economic policy conditionality, such as reducing public spending and eliminating regulations, although this is not reflected in the payments table.