On 22 July 2022, a long queue formed at currency-exchange offices in San Juan, western Argentina, as residents sought U.S. dollars. Local outlet 0264 Noticias reported that people arrived from early morning at Cambio Santiago and other exchange houses, with one line reaching a full block. Political uncertainty after a change of economy minister and a weakening peso increased the appeal of foreign currency as protection for savings.
Argentina maintained both official and informal exchange rates, with rules limiting who could buy dollars and at what price. Waiting here was therefore more than a routine currency transaction. People were trying to change the form of their savings before the value of the peso changed again. The block-long queue turned a shared reading of economic risk into a visible feature of the street.