Hours before Thiel visit, Milei bans press from Casa Rosada over ‘espionage’ complaint

President Javier Milei’s government on Thursday blocked all accredited journalists from entering the Casa Rosada, an unprecedented move in Argentina’s recent democratic history.

Government officials said the decision was based on a complaint of alleged “illegal espionage” involving two reporters with the TN news channel, though all journalists were barred from entry.

“Clarification: the decision to remove fingerprint access for accredited journalists at the Casa Rosada was taken as a preventive measure following the Casa Militar’s complaint of illegal espionage. The sole aim is to guarantee national security,” Javier Lanari, Argentina’s Communications & Press Secretary wrote in a post on X, referring to the body responsible for the security of the President and government house.

Fingerprint identification is the usual method that allows journalists working at the Casa Rosada to gain entry.

Lanari did not elaborate on the ongoing investigation and the government issued no official statement.

President Milei reposted Lanari’s tweet, adding only the acronym “NOL$ALP” (representing a phrase that translates in English to “we don’t hate journalists enough”).

'Temporary'

The measure affects nearly 50 accredited professionals. After finding entry blocked, the journalists went to a well-known café in central Buenos Aires, located just a few steps from Plaza de Mayo, to continue working.

“All of them were left outside the press room. I’m told it’s temporary,” said Lautaro Maislin, an accredited journalist for the government-critical C5N news channel.

Accredited journalists to the Casa Rosada called in a statement for a “swift resolution” to the situation and described the measure as “discretionary” and taken “without prior notice.”

“The decision suggests a clear offensive against press freedom, the exercise of the profession, and the public’s right of access to information,” they stated.

They noted that the measure has no precedent, not even during Argentina’s brutal 1976-1983 civil-military dictatorship.

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. 

A donor to right-wing causes across the globe, Thiel is a well-known Silicon Valley executive who has voiced public support for Milei.

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’s first major external investor, which consolidated both his fortune and his influence within the tech industry.

Thiel has been variously described as a conservative libertarian and democracy-sceptic authoritarian. He once famously declared: “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”

Reasoning

The press ban is reportedly linked to two separate issues. 

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.

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.

On Wednesday, it emerged that Sebastián Ibáñez, the head of the Casa Militar security unit, had filed a complaint against the two reporters for espionage.

“I would love to see those filthy pieces of rubbish who carry journalist credentials (95 percent) come out and defend what these two criminals did,” Milei wrote on X, including a photograph of the accused journalists. 

“I hope this reaches those most responsible,” he added.

Milei’s 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 “trash.”

In its recent global report, Amnesty International warned of “criminal proceedings and judicial harassment manoeuvres” against journalists in Argentina.

–TIMES/AFP/NA