Joseph Tulchin, Director of the Latin American Program at the WWC; Hector Schamis, Assistant Professor, Cornell University; Ariel Armony, Assistant Professor, Colby College.

Argentina's decline from rising economic star of Latin America in the 1990s to its largest international debtor by 2001 demonstrates the unforgiving volatility of global markets and the politics of international aid regimes. Since its default on IMF loans, Argentina has seen its historically strong middle class fall into poverty, its banks freeze personal assets and its political leadership challenged like never before. In this panel conversation, the question of "what happened?" is explored with the idea that there is a positive future for the southern cone region.