Argentina: Government prevents journalists from entering Casa Rosada due to alleged 'espionage' case

The government of President Javier Milei prevented the entry of all accredited journalists to the Casa Rosada this Thursday, in the framework of an investigation for alleged "illegal espionage" within the executive branch.

According to several reports cited by AFP, the decision is linked to two main lines of investigation: on the one hand, the government suspects a possible Russian espionage network that allegedly drove a media campaign against Milei in 2024; at the same time, a criminal complaint against two journalists of the Todo Noticias channel (T.N.) for alleged recordings in unauthorized areas of the government palace is being investigated.

Secretary of Communication and Press Javier Lanari justified the move on X, pointing out that "the decision to revoke fingerprint credentials of accredited journalists at the Casa Rosada was made as a preventative measure following a complaint from the Casa Militar (Military House) regarding illegal espionage."

"The sole purpose is to guarantee national security," he added, without offering further details on the investigation. The government also did not issue an official statement.

Until now, journalists' access to the Casa Rosada was through the usual fingerprint identification system.

In 2026 the Argentine government extended the credentials granted the previous year, but according to a source quoted by the newspaper La Nación, "The extension of the 2025 credentials did not take effect, and until the issue regarding the videos is clarified, no journalist is going to be allowed to enter."