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He Argentine Journalism Forum (Fopea) expressed through a statement its concern because the national government has not yet renewed the journalist’s accreditation at the Casa Rosada. Silvia Mercado, who publicly denounced what happened through his networks. Mercado went through the accreditation renewal process, which all journalists had to do this year, for Radio Jai, for which he works, and maintained that since June 6 he has been waiting for a response to his request.
The journalist, with many years of experience in the media, starred in a public exchange through networks with the president Javier Milei last January, a fact that Mercado publicly alluded to as a possible trigger for the official decision to withdraw his accreditation.
consulted by THE NATIONsources from Balcarce 50 said that “media are accredited, not journalists”, which sought to dismiss any type of personal issue and assured that work is being done to correct “an error in the resolution (for authorizations), which does not allow journalists to be accredited after June 4”initial date that existed for orders for the current year, and whose modification could open a new possibility of accreditation for Mercado.
Seeking to dismiss personal problems with the journalist, they stated that Mercado was able to enter Casa Rosada on several occasions, despite not having a valid accreditation. Among them they mentioned that he participated in the toast for the Journalist Dayon Friday, June 7.
Mercado, for her part, points out that she has been accredited in the Government House for 10 years and that what is happening now with the libertarian management “is an unusual and absolutely discriminatory situation.” The journalist also maintains that “In the midst of this whole situation, the one who always ends up deciding is Karina (Milei). She must have some personal problem with me”.
For Fopea, “The lack of official explanations once again highlights the need for the authorities to make public the requirements that a journalist must meet to be accredited”. The entity added: “On previous occasions and with governments of other political groups, Fopea issued itself and demanded equitable conditions so that journalists accredited at the Casa Rosada can carry out their work without political conditions or pressures.”
In January, Mercado was the protagonist of a social exchange with President Milei over the whereabouts of his dogs. “I have confirmation from official spokespersons that the mastiffs are in Olivos”said the journalist, which earned a quick presidential denial through her social network account X in which she stated: “False. The impunity with which some journalists invent and operate lies is scandalous (especially those who broadcast the news who do this type of thing regularly). None of my dogs are in Olivos.”
The Fopea organization explained that in 2022, a survey among colleagues assigned to the Casa Rosada carried out by the institution warned about “the importance of establishing clear common guidelines and that each new government assumes the commitment to comply with them.” Along the same lines, he indicated that “with respect to accreditations, that report could not find objective assignment guidelines either.” And he evaluated that What is currently happening with Mercado “represents a good opportunity for the national government to avoid retaliation and discretion, to design and be transparent with an objective, plural and equitable mechanism for the accreditation of journalists in Casa Rosada.””.
THE NATION
