The government could end the decade-old policy of linking the
peso's value to the dollar, a policy that ended years of
hyperinflation but left Argentina in a disadvantageous trading
position when Brazil devalued its currency in recent years. But
floating the peso would cause havoc with Argentine private
industry, which has about 80 percent of its $30 billion debt in
dollars, causing bankruptcies and more unemployment, at least
in the short term.