I figure the politicians have already gambled away 37 TRILLION taxpayer dollars, so 40 billion more in fiat currency is a spit in the ocean. Your point is well taken in any case. Perhaps my use of the word "gamble" here is a bit of a stretch in that the loans are actually a business decision expected to be paid back with some kind of ROI (the article is very sparse on any details regarding this). The gamble is like any bank loaning money for a mortgage with its inherent risks or a venture capitalist pouring money into a new enterprise. I figure the Trump administration (I doubt if Trump made this decision alone) is willing to loan the Melei administration a ladder because Melei seems like the type of leader that can get Argentina to climb out of a hole. If Melei isn't re-elected all this is a moot point as it all goes away according to the article.