Argentina govt launches account to debunk 'lies' about Milei / Photo: Mandel NGAN - AFP/File
Argentina govt launches account to debunk 'lies' about Milei
Argentina's right-wing government stepped up its standoff with the media on Thursday by launching a social media account to "debunk" what it called media lies about libertarian President Javier Milei.
The new government account is titled the Office of Official Response and had 43,000 followers soon after it launched.
In its inaugural post, which Milei retweeted, it said it had been created "to actively debunk lies, point out specific falsehoods, and expose the operations of the media and the political caste."
Within hours of its launch, the account had posted two purported debunks -- one of a remark by a left-wing lawmaker and another of a headline in the conservative Clarin newspaper.
Milei has regularly insulted and denigrated the press since taking office in December 2023.
One of his slogans is: "We don't hate journalists enough."
The Argentine media association Adepa expressed "concern" over the launch of the new government account, saying it risked becoming a "surveillance" tool to silence critical voices.
The account drew comparisons with the launch late last year by the White House of a page titled the "Offender Hall of Shame."
The site also names and shames media outlets that publish stories contested by US President Donald Trump, a close ally of Milei.
N.Echeverri--BT
