The 2000s credit binge is taking its toll in 2026

The credit binge of the 2000s boom is taking its toll in 2026

At eleven in the morning, a guy orders a cortado with ice at the bar and declares that it is all the State's fault. He is the "langosto", the speculator who jumped on dropshipping or cryptocurrencies in 2021 and ended up broke. In 2026, with the accumulated crises, this character is the reflection of an era that still does not want to bury the 2000s boom.

The reading that prevails is harsh: the 2000s boom was the hangover from 20 years of partying paid with fake money. The party consisted of credit galore, construction, and a middle class that believed the rise was eternal. Now the bill arrives, and the same people who organized it call for sacrifice while splitting the loot.

In the alley, the language also sharpens. The broke financial shark is called a "langosto". So is the one asking for credit for another startup selling mugs. And the ideology that invites you to settle for the catalog of deals is known as "lonchafinismo": you are not even saved in the clearance section. While Paco and Charo keep their terrace going, the only current that does not deceive is the one at the bottom of the account.

What is unsettling is that, with all the speeches about effort, the shopping basket weighs the same and empty pockets have become the only constant. The 2000s boom did not end: it moved to the discount section, and it is still going through the checkout.