{
  "id": 7795458,
  "title": "Defying Milei, opposition governor Quintela brings back his ‘chachos’ currency in La Rioja",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/defying-milei-opposition-governor-quintela-brings-back-his-chachos",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-16T13:19:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Buenos Aires Times",
    "slug": "buenos-aires-times",
    "url": "https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/economy/defying-milei-opposition-governor-quintela-brings-back-his-chachos-currency-in-la-rioja.phtml"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Argentine opposition governor Ricardo Quintela is reintroducing a local currency called \"chachos\" in La Rioja, a province struggling economically. The currency, which is worth the same as the regular peso, will be given to around 80,000 public workers and beneficiaries to boost consumption. This move comes as President Javier Milei pushes for free market reforms, but La Rioja's economy remains stagnant with a high dependence on the public sector and a lack of private investment. Quintela sees the chachos as an \"act of rebellion\" against Milei's policies, threatening to reverse them if he loses the upcoming election. Despite President Milei's efforts to cut public spending and shrink the state, La Rioja continues to rely heavily on government funding and public-sector wages, making the local government the primary engine of growth.",
  "summary": "The return of the ‘chacho’ currency, which circulates only in opposition-led La Rioja Province, exposes a stubborn reality lying just beneath the President’s radical reform agenda. Leer más",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}