Argentina’s President Javier Milei has expelled accredited reporters from the government’s headquarters, the Casa Rosada, escalating a campaign against critical media as the nation faces climbing unemployment, a contracted economy, and new corruption allegations against his administration. The decision last week to remove the entire press corps marks a further step in a wide-ranging anti-media campaign that has become a hallmark of Milei’s tenure.
Milei took to social media to insult the country’s news media as “filthy scum that claims to be journalists.” He also posted an AI-generated image depicting a local TV journalist in an orange prison jumpsuit, a clear threat against those who report critically on his government. His posts frequently include the slogan, “We don’t hate journalists enough,” and repeat the claim that 95% of journalists are criminals. He often singles out specific reporters critical of his administration with epithets such as “dirty operative” and “human garbage.”
The State as Enforcer
Milei’s spokesperson, Javier Lanari, stated Thursday that the government had blocked press access “as a preventative measure.” This action followed a local TV channel airing footage filmed with smart glasses from inside the Casa Rosada, which the government alleged was without authorization. Authorities in charge of security at the Casa Rosada are now suing the Todo Noticias network, accusing it of “illegal espionage.” However, Luciana Geuna, one of the journalists from Todo Noticias, stated on her program Sunday that press officers had been notified of their filming plans in advance. Geuna added that the footage showed easily accessible parts of the Casa Rosada that had been previously broadcast on television.
This latest move is part of a pattern of state action to control information. Last year, the government constrained the movements of media within the building, designating certain wings of the Casa Rosada off limits and capping attendance at news briefings. This month, authorities barred six accredited media outlets from accessing the Casa Rosada and the lower house of Congress, accusing the journalists of involvement in Kremlin-backed disinformation, a charge the reporters denied. Milei has also modified an open-records law to limit the scope of publicly available information.
Further demonstrating the state’s role in suppressing independent reporting, Milei shut down Argentina’s state news agency Telam in 2024, accusing it of being a propaganda mouthpiece for the left-leaning populist opposition. Telam has since been transformed into an advertising agency, marking a privatization of a public information resource. Milei has also turned to the courts, filing defamation lawsuits against at least eight journalists in the last year and encouraging his allies to do the same, mirroring tactics used by figures like former U.S. President Trump.
Capital's Crisis, Workers' Burden
The intensified attacks on the press coincide with a period of significant economic hardship for the working class. Milei’s popularity has reached the lowest point of his presidency, according to the AtlasIntel pollster. His stated drive to eliminate Argentina’s chronic inflation has stalled, unemployment has climbed, and the economy has contracted. These conditions directly impact the lives of workers and the economically dispossessed, who bear the cost of the system’s contradictions.
Corruption cases, reminiscent of the scandals that plagued the political elite Milei vowed to overthrow, have also emerged. His close ally and chief of staff, Manuel Adorni, is now under investigation for the misuse of public funds. Some journalists draw a direct line between the government’s mounting economic and corruption-related challenges and its escalating attacks on the messengers of that news, suggesting an attempt to deflect attention from the failures of capital.
Managing Dissent
Milei has not held a single press conference as president, preferring to push his message through slogans and AI-generated memes. He rarely grants interviews to established outlets but frequently appears on radio shows hosted by right-wing influencers. He has promoted social media provocateurs to government positions and mobilized a new generation of digital activists to rail against the traditional news media, which he accuses of leaning left. These tactics serve to bypass critical inquiry and consolidate a narrative favorable to the ruling class.
The backlash from liberal institutions has focused on “freedom of expression.” An opposition lawmaker is suing the government, and a dozen other legislators have requested an urgent meeting with officials over what they described as an “institutional undermining of freedom of expression.” Even the Argentine Catholic Church weighed in Monday, stressing the need to reject divisive rhetoric and noting the press “had operated virtually uninterrupted in the Casa Rosada since 1940,” marking the 86th year of such access. These reform efforts, while highlighting the immediate issue, do not address the structural mechanics of power and capital that underpin the state’s assault on information and the working class.