Argentina justifiably denounces Russian interference in its media and journalists to spread fake news. However, within the country's intelligence community, another, equally delicate concern is growing: whether some state sectors maintained closer, more frequent, and trusted ties with Russian and Chinese delegates than professional prudence would advise. According to sources, within the Argentine Intelligence Agency (SIDE), the most frequent work meetings and lunches were not focused on contacts with allied nations, but rather with delegates from China and Russia. Specifically, in the external affairs division of SIDE, attention is drawn to the figure of Alejandro Colombo, head of the Intelligence Strategic Area (SIA), whom sources attribute to an exceptionally active schedule of meetings with Chinese and Russian delegates, sometimes up to two contacts per week, while ties with Western services were comparatively more sporadic. The official denunciation is grave and well-founded. It is a logical step in the current international orientation of the Casa Rosada. Total News Agency has warned of Russian interference for years. This is not about breaking normal diplomatic ties or overacting an absurd purge. Contacts with the United States, Israel, Spain, Italy, Germany, and others certainly exist but are less assiduous. At the same time, this extends to the National Directorate of Criminal Intelligence (DNIC), under the Ministry of Security. According to information obtained by Total News Agency, visits from Russian and Chinese police attaches were frequent there, including work meetings, tours, and internal presentations by analysts, compromising their security and work. This is not about breaking normal diplomatic ties or overacting an absurd purge. Contacts with the United States, Israel, Spain, Italy, Germany, and others certainly exist but are less assiduous. This is not about breaking normal diplomatic ties or overacting an absurd purge. Contacts with the United States, Israel, Spain, Italy, Germany, and others certainly exist but are less assiduous. This is not about breaking normal diplomatic ties or overacting an absurd purge. The issue is not their existence, but the quality, intensity, and proportion of the ties established and what is shared with them. It is also necessary to review internally why some sectors of the system seemed to maintain a particularly smooth relationship with delegates from that same sphere. Investigative journalism from recent days describes a device linked to Russian interests that allocated around $283,100 to insert over 250 articles into 23 Argentine media outlets, many with false bylines or no authorship at all, plus other expenses related to intelligence and influence operations. FOPEA had already warned in January about disinformation mechanisms promoted from abroad, with financial offers to communicators and social media users to amplify scripted political content. But it also left open a contradiction that can no longer be hidden under the rug. All this requires, at a minimum, a serious counterintelligence audit. In this context, the visa waiver for Argentines wishing to travel to the USA could be at risk. They describe a continuity from previous administrations, with a particularly pronounced rapprochement during the Kirchner years, when the political relationship with Venezuela, closeness to Russia, and logic of non-Western alignments acquired much greater intensity. This is about something more basic: giving each relationship its proper dimension and preventing the routine of liaison from becoming a dangerous habit. No one disputes that institutional channels with foreign services must exist. This actually clashes head-on with the award received in Langley by Cristian Auguadra for 'professionalizing' SIDE; the reason for the recognition seems to be a double message. The contradiction becomes even more visible because, at the same time, the Milei government has reinforced its alignment with Washington and has just opened a new agenda with the CIA, focused on 'training,' terrorism financing, and technical cooperation.
