Allegations of corruption made by two of Argentina’s leading journalists have put bribery and kickbacks back on the agenda, sparking calls for an investigation.
Cristina Pérez and Jonatan Viale made explosive broadcasts on Tuesday, in which they accused other journalists and officials of giving and receiving bribes.
Fresh off the back of the ‘Cryptogate’ scandal, in which President Javeir Milei pushed a controversial cryptocurrency which later crashed, Pérez made a series of hard-hitting statements on Tuesday night about presumed irregularities within the presidential entourage.
Pérez, the partner of Defence Minister Luis Petri, alleged during her evening programme on LN+ television that individuals close to Milei were demanding ‘cash for access’ to the President.
"There are people who say that there is an inner circle that offers or asks for money, in exchange for bringing businessmen closer to the President," said Pérez.
"I am not telling you this by supposition, because at least three sources have told me about situations of this type," she assured viewers.
Pérez warned about a presumed lobby within the government where people close to the President collect money to negotiate meetings with businessmen.
“There are people who – off the record – say that there is a circle within the entourage who offer [the service] or request money in return for bringing businessmen in contact with the President,” said the journalist.
The accusation triggered strong repercussions. Clearly referencing Milei’s inner circle, Pérez linked her denunciation to recent statements from the President in which he maintained that there should be more filters, in order to prevent anybody having easy access to him.
“Yesterday Milei said: ‘I have to place a rampart so that it is not so easy to have access to me,’” recalled the journalist.
According to Pérez, these middlemen within the government have already been denounced by different sources.
“I’m not just supposing this because at least three sources have spoken to me about situations of this kind,” she assured.
She further maintained that in some cases, collecting money for a meeting with Milei could not guarantee real access to the President, leaving the businessmen without the promised meeting.
“There is an entourage which offers this service and can even collect [money] for it but without guaranteeing that the person gets to sit down with Milei,” she denounced.
The journalist pointed out that access to the President could be manipulated for economic benefit.
"It cannot be so easy for anybody in the presidential entourage... because at least three sources have spoken to me of situations of this kind with an entourage which offers [the service] and is capable of collecting [money] for it while never sitting down that person with Milei," affirmed Pérez.
Figures related to La Libertad Avanza have been previously accused of selling candidacies in last year’s elections to the highest bidder.
Viale accusations
Viale delivered similarly controversial allegations on Tuesday, the day after he had broadcast a disastrous interview with Milei about the ‘cryptogate’ scandal.
Soon after it had aired, a longer unedited clip from the encounter began circulating online, showing that Viale had allowed government officials to intervene and adjust Milei’s answers.
A mocking section in which the journalist jokes that his questions have been cleared in advance with the government was also published.
“I don't accept the criticisms of “colleagues” who got their money's worth with political envelopes,” said Viale.
Looking at the screen, he alluded to a former colleague (widely believed to be Eduardo Feinmann) who he said had taken “money in the last campaign.
“You filled yourself with money with that little brown envelope. I didn't take it, OK? Or do you want me to tell you where it was, when it was, in what place, in what car park?” said a clearly angry Viale.
In the same vein, he added: ‘I've already left a channel because of this. They had to campaign for a candidate who got 11 percent” – a reference to former Buenos Aires City mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta.
President Milei seized on Viale’s broadcast, posting on social media about “bought-off” journalists.
“ Viale revealed that he was aware of something that I have been warning about since 2021: there is a direct link between corrupt politicians and journalists who stuff envelopes. The justice system should investigate,” he said.
The former City mayor reacted angrily to the post, warning Milei he would “see him in court.”
– TIMES/NA
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