Argentina's 8th general strike in 2 years 12/14: Strike shuts down Argentina Associated Press, Friday, December 14, 2001 Strike shuts down Argentina By Tony Smith Buenos Aires -- Argentina's economy, already crippled by nearly four years of recession, ground to a halt yesterday as the deeply unpopular government of President Fernando de la Rua faced its eighth general strike in two years. As the strike closed down offices, factories and public transport across the country, Mr. de la Rua met with his predecessor, Carlos Menem of the opposition Peronist Party, to seek joint policies to save Argentina from economic collapse. But the talks at the Casa Rosada government house -- focusing on further cuts in public spending and whether Argentina should abandon the peso and adopt the U.S. dollar as its currency -- did little to appease angry workers outside. Driven to desperation by spiralling unemployment and plummeting living standards, tens of thousands of union workers stayed off the job yesterday amid scattered protests around the country and sporadic violence. Defying heavy rain, about 70 protesters crowded the entrance to the home of Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo on the upper-crust Avenida Libertador in this capital. Chanting anti-government slogans, they waved a huge banner painted with the face of Evita Peron. The four-year economic slump has left Argentina so cash-strapped that it is struggling to meet payments on its $132-billion (U.S.) debt. A run on banks Nov. 30 forced the government to partly freeze Argentines' bank accounts, which sparked the latest wave of protests. The International Monetary Fund last week refused to release nearly $1.3-billion Argentina needs to keep its accounts afloat, saying not enough was being done to control spending.