The Argentine Government, led by Javier Milei, eliminated the national channel Telesur from its open television grid.
“By this formal means and in exercise of the powers of legal representation that were conferred on me, for the purposes of exercising the power provided for in article 2.2. of the Collaboration Agreement signed on November 20, 2020, terminating it on July 1, 2024,” Diego Chaher, in charge of various channels and public content in Argentina, clarified in a letter, reported La Nación.
It should be noted that the elimination of the channel comes in the midst of the significant budget reduction of public mediawhich also led to staff salary reductions.
“The National Government has the firm decision and conviction to take care of the budgetary expenditure that comes from the taxes paid by citizens. This savings policy also will be implemented on Public TelevisionTherefore, on holidays there will be no newscasts,” the authorities said in a statement.
Along with the above, the government decision is framed in a period of communication tensions with Venezuela, in addition to policies with the landing of Andrés Mangiarotti at the Caracas embassy.
Tensions between Venezuela and Argentina
In April the relationship between Venezuela and Argentina reached its ‘peak’, since Milei assumed leadership of the Pink House. As stated by La Nación, one of the sources of greatest conflict was the arrival as refugees of six leaders opposed to Chavismo.
However, prior to this event, one of the last incidents was the limitation of Venezuelan airspace which prohibits the circulation of Argentine aircraft. This, as a punishment for the seizure to the United States of the Emtrasur plane, with a Venezuelan and Iranian crew.
Criticism against Maduro is repeated from the Venezuelan opposition, whom they accuse of “manipulate” the electoral processcommunications and persecute opponents to remain in power.
Added to them was the head of Latin American affairs of the US Government, Brian A. Nichols, who warned that “the increase in repression they do not allow us to harbor “much hope” that free elections will be organized, although he believes that “there is still time” for the “regime” of Nicolás Maduro to “change path.”
