The relationship between the Government of Javier Milei and journalism continues to add tension, after the reported attacks by a libertarian influencer, accredited in Casa Rosada, led to a series of attacks against the Argentine Journalism Forum (Fopea) for not expressing itself on the subject. The entity denounced a smear campaign Following the dissemination of a fake news and a message from the President himself.
It all started after a video recorded by the YouTuber Mariano Pereza member of La Libertad Avanza, during an event left-wing groups in the vicinity of Congress during the discussion of the “Ley Bases” (Bases Law), which was later approved by the House of Representatives. Pérez was reprimanded and “pulled” by militants to leave the place, which he later referred to in his account of “X”.
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Authoritarians don’t like this
The practice of professional and critical journalism is a fundamental pillar of democracy. That is why it bothers those who believe they are the owners of the truth.
This Friday, Milei echoed what happened through a message published by Alberto Fernández’s former head of advisors, Antonio Aracrewhich now supports the management of La Libertad Avanza.Fopea is a disgrace“, wrote the Head of State, who was warned on several occasions by the forum due to his disqualifications against the press.
“The president of FOPEA says that she does not see the need to come to the defense of the attacked streamer because it is a ‘militant’ before a journalist“It seems to me that there will be a very limited universe of potential defenders in Argentina, at least from 678 onwards,” said the text shared by Aracre with irony.
Furthermore, the presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adornialso decided to express himself on the attacks that Pérez denounced in his usual press conference at Casa Rosada. “We want to express the most absolute repudiation to the attacks that one picket gang He gave Mariano Pérez, a journalist from the media Break Pointand so many others who suffer every time they try to show a reality that for some reason many do not want to be seen.”
“We appeal that this never happens again. This is not the first time that those who claim to be against hate and defend workers act with violence and they don’t let journalists carry out their work,” the spokesman said.
The assault outside Congress
Mariano Pérez was asking questions to a protester when another person who was in the vicinity of the legislative building approached him and said: “We don’t want a Milei activist here”. Then they pulled him, attacked the person who was accompanying him to film and tried to grab his phone. Afterwards, a man hugged them and, walking, took them a few meters further from the concentration.
“Not only did they hit me many times but they also they are some jets that they wanted to steal my cell phone. Left-handers have never been better represented. They’re going to have to kill me If they want me to stop doing journalism,” said the creator of Break Point After what happened to his account, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
After the publication, different accounts related to the Government of Javier Milei began to question and ask FOPEA to protest against the behavior of the protesters. Among others, users @Usdtermo and @ElTrumpista, Gordo Dan and Juan Doe, targeted the journalists’ forum.
As the entity ultimately did not do so, the dissemination began simultaneously from multiple accounts on a supposed chat WhatsApp that would have occurred between members of the entity to agree not to show solidarity with the libertarian communicator, who later It was reported to be “fake”.
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The “fake” chat and the FOPEA clarification
“The Argentine Journalism Forum condemns the campaign of defamation driven on social mediain which an alleged dialogue between members of this organization is reproduced,” he began by saying through a FOPEA post. And he bluntly stated: “That dialogue is FALSE. “There never was that conversation.”.
“Therefore, its dissemination, attributing responsibility to FOPEA, has the clear intention of “discredit this organization”. In that sense, they stressed that “the false dialogue includes a logo that FOPEA stopped using some time ago, when it changed its institutional image.”
For the entity, this “crusade” against it was motivated after the forum warned of the “attempt to reintroduce compulsory registration for journalists by the Ministry of Human Capital.” Subsequently, the Government reversed course and clarified that the service already existed and that it was not “mandatory“.
“But this is far from being an isolated event.. It is part of a methodology that they implement Authoritarian governments in the Americas“which seek to undermine the role that the press and independent journalism play in the sustainability of democracies,” the organization added.
“FOPEA will denounce the sinister and vile campaign of discredit orchestrated against him and that he will maintain his efforts to improve journalism in the country, as well as guarantee freedom of expression and achieve better conditions for professional practice,” completes the letter.
Meanwhile, the president of FOPEA, Paula Morenospoke with the program This Morning (Radio Rivadavia) and spoke about the assault that Pérez suffered. “When the reproaches began, it was an event from two minutes agowith a person in a cover, an alleged assault in the Congress area“, said.
“We work in professional journalism and the boy attacked defines himself as a Milei militant“he commented, before insisting that there is a protocol by which attacks on the press are analyzed. “We report this to other spaces; this fact It hadn’t even finished happening when they started harassing us and accusing us”hill.
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