BUENOS AIRES - Hundreds of thousands of Argentinians flooded the streets of the country's biggest cities on Thursday in a broad protest against President Cristina Fernandez's interventionist policies and combative style.
The center-left leader won easy re-election a year ago but her approval ratings have slid since. Her government has virtually banned dollar purchases and it limited imports this year, worsening a steep economic slowdown.
High crime, inflation of roughly 25 percent a year, and a possible bid by government allies to reform the constitution to allow Fernandez to run for a third term are also stoking unrest, particularly among middle-class Argentinians.
