Medellín, Colombia – Argentine President Javier Milei banned some 60 journalists from the country’s Presidential Palace today. The formerly accredited reporters had their fingerprint access withdrawn from the building’s security system today, with Milei citing claims of espionage and Russian funding. This is the latest in a pattern of repression of press freedom during Milei’s presidency, with rights groups denouncing increased harassment against members of the media.
According to local media, the journalists who once reported from the government headquarters daily were told that they would not be permitted entry to la Casa Rosada on Thursday morning. Milei attacked journalists on his X account, calling them “corrupt, bribed” and accusing them of “breaking security laws”. The president and his followers have since circulated the slogan #NOSALP via X, meaning “No odiamos lo suficiente a los periodistas” (“We do not hate journalists enough”).
Milei justified the ban by citing a recent criminal complaint by the Casa Militar, the presidential security unit, against journalists from Todo Noticias (TN), a local news station. Two TN journalists were accused of espionage after pictures from the interior of la Casa Rosada were broadcast on the news channel, something the Casa Militar claims could expose political or military secrets. Javier Lanari, a member of Milei’s communications team, similarly claimed via X that today’s ban was a “precautionary measure following allegations of illegal espionage made by the Casa Militar.” No further details explaining the move were given and no official statement has been released.
This latest blanket ban also follows the prohibition earlier this month of journalists from various Argentinian outlets who were reported to have been involved in an alleged Russian disinformation campaign in the lead-up to the 2024 elections. In the wake of Milei’s decision, members of Congress from across the political spectrum denounced the move, presenting a draft resolution calling for the immediate reopening of la Casa Rosada to the media. Marcela Pagano – a lawmaker and former member of Milei’s party La Libertad Avanza – also filed a criminal complaint against the libertarian president later in the day, comparing the exceptional decision to the repression of the country’s military dictatorship.
“Restricting journalists’ freedom of expression is the first step towards silencing any dissenting voice, a situation we in Argentina have experienced during our country’s darkest hours,” she said via X. Her criminal complaint accuses Milei, Lanari, and Sebastián Ignacio Ibáñez (head of the Casa Militar) of supporting a decision that constitutes “continuous and irreversible damage” to the “republican system, to freedom of the press, to the right to public information and to the professional practice of journalism.” Featured image credit: AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko.