Millay’s fold: allow journalists to return to cover his administration

The President of Argentina, Javier Millay, gave journalists access to the presidential building tonight (between Monday and Tuesday), about two weeks after he decided to block access to the building to the media. Millay’s move against the journalists ignited sharp criticism from all ends of the political spectrum, until he decided to cancel it.

Last month Millay decided to close the press room in the “Pink House”, the main office building of the Argentine president. The move came as part of a series of attacks and measures by Millay against the media in the country. The authorities justified the restrictions as a necessary security measure, after accusing a local TV channel of espionage after they claimed it filmed without permission.

Millay posted insults on social media against the country’s media, calling them “filthy trash posing as journalists.” He even uploaded an artificially generated image of a local female journalist wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. Millay has intensified his attacks on the media in recent weeks, against a background of faltering in the implementation of his policies. Almost every day he publishes the slogan: “We don’t hate journalists enough”, on the X network.

But Millay’s step led to strong condemnations from politicians at all ends of the political spectrum, civil society organizations and the newspapers themselves. Following the condemnations, journalists were allowed to enter the Pink House again tonight. Millay’s chief of staff made it clear at a press conference: “We fully support the freedom of the press… but we will in no way allow actions that endanger national security to be carried out under the auspices of this freedom.”

However, the authorities prevented entry from two licensed television channels without explanation, and imposed new restrictions on the movement of reporters inside the building, including closing corridors and other parts of the building and strict security checks.