Argentine President: No new surveillance program for journalists

Argentine President: No new surveillance program for journalists

The office of the Argentinian president javier " Milei rejected a number of reports that claim that the Argentine intelligence authority has approved a new plan that could enable the surveillance of journalists, politicians and economists.

background of reporting

The reporting, written by journalist Hugo Alconada Mon in the newspaper la nación National intelligence schedule of the Argentine State Secretary Set Secretariats (Side). Alconada Mon reports that the plan includes general goals of secret service work, including the prevention of terrorism and combating organized crime. However, the report also shows "generalizations, gray areas and ambiguities".

unclear objective of the plan

"This is how the side has the authority to collect information about everyone who tries to undermine public trust in the authorities responsible for the security of the nation," the report says. However, it is not specified whether these are foreign agents or experts, journalists and citizens who question the measures of the Minister of National Security.

statements by the presidential office

On May 25th, Mileis Büro confirmed the existence of a new intelligence plan, but rejected that it would be used for such purposes. Alconada Mon, one of the best-known investigative journalists of Argentina and deputy editor-in-chief of La Nación, announced that he had verified the authenticity of the 170-page document with two independent sources.

ambiguities and interpretations

"It is so ambiguously formulated that it can be interpreted both correctly and worryingly," he said in an interview with CNN. CNN had no access to the document and could not verify it independently. Alconada Mon explained that there was an interpretation of the plan to counteract possible actions of foreign powers, such as Russia's alleged attempts to influence elections in other countries.

sovereignty versus monitoring concerns

"As a sovereign nation, we have to ensure that other foreign powers do not try. In this case, the goal is legitimate. But due to the way it is formulated, it could also refer to analysts, politicians, journalists or other people who comment on an opinion.

opinion of the presidential office

The president's office rejected this idea and said in a statement: "This has been the first government for decades to make the political decision not to use the side to persecute opponents, journalists and political adversary."

Michael Rios from CNN contributed to this story.