Argentina's economy minister said yesterday that "me-too" investors who want compensation for debt owed since the country's 2002 default have lodged claims for between $7 billion and $8 billion in the hope of gaining from its legal battle with other holdouts, Reuters reported yesterday. A U.S. judge ordered Argentina in 2012 to pay a group of hedge funds that did not participate in its 2005 and 2010 debt restructuring, including Elliott Management Corp.'s NML Capital Ltd. and Aurelius Capital Management, $1.33 billion plus interest. Argentina refused to pay, calling the creditors "vulture funds" for seeking to pick clean the carcass of Latin America's third-largest economy after its devastating 2002 default on $100 billion in debt. The country now says it wants to reach a deal, after its legal battle with the holdouts pushed it into default on its restructured debt in July. But it wants to settle claims from all creditors who refused the swaps at the same time. U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa in New York said that he would deal with "me too" claims filed by March 2 on the same schedule as those of the hedge funds. "Those who presented new claims to Griesa worth $7 or $8 billion are also vultures," Economy Minister Axel Kicillof said yesterday.
