President Javier Milei\u2019s government on Thursday blocked all accredited journalists from entering the Casa Rosada, an unprecedented move in Argentina\u2019s recent democratic history.<\/p>\n
Government officials said the decision was based on a complaint of alleged \u201cillegal espionage\u201d involving two reporters with the TN news channel, though all journalists were barred from entry.<\/p>\n
\u201cClarification: the decision to remove fingerprint access for accredited journalists at the Casa Rosada was taken as a preventive measure following the Casa Militar\u2019s complaint of illegal espionage. The sole aim is to guarantee national security,\u201d Javier Lanari, Argentina\u2019s Communications & Press Secretary wrote in a post on X, referring to the body responsible for the security of the President and government house.<\/p>\n
Fingerprint identification is the usual method that allows journalists working at the Casa Rosada to gain entry.<\/p>\n
Lanari did not elaborate on the ongoing investigation and the government issued no official statement.<\/p>\n
President Milei reposted Lanari\u2019s tweet, adding only the acronym \u201cNOL$ALP\u201d (representing a phrase that translates in English to \u201cwe don\u2019t hate journalists enough\u201d).<\/p>\n
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‘Temporary’<\/strong><\/p>\n The measure affects nearly 50 accredited professionals. After finding entry blocked, the journalists went to a well-known caf\u00e9 in central Buenos Aires, located just a few steps from Plaza de Mayo, to continue working.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of them were left outside the press room. I\u2019m told it\u2019s temporary,\u201d said Lautaro Maislin, an accredited journalist for the government-critical C5N news channel.<\/p>\n Accredited journalists to the Casa Rosada called in a statement for a \u201cswift resolution\u201d to the situation and described the measure as \u201cdiscretionary\u201d and taken \u201cwithout prior notice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe decision suggests a clear offensive against press freedom, the exercise of the profession, and the public\u2019s right of access to information,\u201d they stated.<\/p>\n They noted that the measure has no precedent, not even during Argentina\u2019s brutal 1976-1983 civil-military dictatorship.<\/p>\n The decision was taken just hours before billionaire German-US entrepreneur Peter Thiel was due to be hosted at the Casa Rosada by President Milei.\u00a0<\/p>\n A donor to right-wing causes across the globe, Thiel is a well-known Silicon Valley executive who has voiced public support for Milei.<\/p>\n Thiel was a co-founder of PayPal, one of the first major digital payments platforms, alongside figures such as Elon Musk. He later became Facebook\u2019s first major external investor, which consolidated both his fortune and his influence within the tech industry.<\/p>\n Thiel has been variously described as a conservative libertarian and democracy-sceptic authoritarian. He once famously declared: \u201cI no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Reasoning<\/strong><\/p>\n The press ban is reportedly linked to two separate issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n First, revelations concerning an alleged Russian espionage network that the government suspects promoted a media campaign against President Milei in 2024. Last week, the Casa Rosada denied entry to journalists from media outlets allegedly linked to the Russian plot.<\/p>\n Second, a criminal complaint against two journalists from the Todo Noticias television news channel for alleged espionage, the result of the duo filming in unauthorised areas of the presidential palace.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, it emerged that Sebasti\u00e1n Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez, the head of the Casa Militar security unit, had filed a complaint against the two reporters for espionage.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love to see those filthy pieces of rubbish who carry journalist credentials (95 percent) come out and defend what these two criminals did,\u201d Milei wrote on X, including a photograph of the accused journalists.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI hope this reaches those most responsible,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Milei\u2019s relationship with the press has been strained since he took office in December 2023. The head of state regularly fires off written and verbal attacks and insults against journalists, whom he frequently labels \u201ctrash.\u201d<\/p>\n In its recent global report, Amnesty International warned of \u201ccriminal proceedings and judicial harassment manoeuvres\u201d against journalists in Argentina.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2013TIMES\/AFP\/NA \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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