Your trusted source

Much of Argentina's capital will shut down on Thursday as leaders from the world's biggest economies descend on Buenos Aires for the two-day G20 summit, which kicks off on Friday, CNN reports.

In a decree signed by Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, the government declared Friday a national holiday, and encouraged anyone not involved in the G20 to get out of the city for a long weekend.

"Our recommendation is to use the long weekend to get away," security minister Patricia Bullrich said in a television interview, Reuters reported. "Take off after work on Thursday because the city is going to get very challenging. Our security measures will be very strong and the decisions that we will make if there is violence will be immediate."

The G20, an annual summit for leaders from 19 world nations and the European Union, will end on Saturday, but security measures are expected to be in place through the weekend.

During that period, public transport will grind to a halt, the port will close, and flights will be diverted, as the city ramps up security and braces for dozens of anti-G20 protests.

More than 22,000 police and officials will be deployed as part of the security operation, according to Telam, Argentina's state-run news agency.