In Miami, at the headquarters of the University of Miami, the eleventh hearing of the 194th period of sessions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) was held. The meeting, led by IACHR President José Luis Caballero, focused on "the situation of freedom of expression in Argentina." It was attended by representatives of press unions, journalists, and Argentine human rights organizations, who accused the government of 'La Libertad Avanza' of planned and systematic attacks on critics and those who cover reality on the streets.
Government representatives, including Human Rights Secretary Alberto Baños and a lawyer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alberto Salgado, attempted to downplay the weight of the avalanche of accusations from a wide range of journalists, trade union organizations, and human rights bodies. They stated that the issue is not about politics but about "horizontal protection of human rights" and that the complaints are merely an attempt to "break the Argentine state."
The organizers and petitioners submitted a request to the IACHR, asking the body to "monitor the repressive context in Argentina," demand that the Milei government "take measures to stop attacks on journalists and critical voices," and "put an end to repression against protesters and those who cover these protests."
The accusations were focused on three main areas: violence by state forces during the coverage of social protests, judicial persecution aimed at silencing those who provide information, and the policy of hollowing out state media.
Journalists and human rights rights defenders detailed cases of violence. For example, photographer Pablo Grillo was on the verge of death on March 12 when a gendarme named Hector Guerrero fired a tear gas canister that struck him in the head. In the march on February 1, 2024 alone, 52 journalists were injured.
Regarding judicial persecution, authorities have initiated unfounded cases against inconvenient journalists, which were ultimately dismissed by the courts but aimed to silence critical voices. The government is also accused of using state apparatus to persecute and harass.
The policy of hollowing out state media has led to the layoffs of thousands of workers and wage freezes. The national news agency Telam, National Radio, Public Television, and educational channels have been dismantled, dealing a blow to the diversity of voices and the public's right to information.
Despite the attempts of officials to justify themselves, the IACHR highlighted the importance of the press's work in reconstructing repressive operations and identifying those responsible. The Commission stated that it does not see this as isolated incidents but as a worrying trend. IACHR Secretary Tania Renéaum Panszi replied to Baños that the petitioners' testimonies were "irrelevant to the objectives of the hearing."
In conclusion, the petitioners emphasized that organization and international denunciation become "fundamental tools for defending the right to inform and to be informed."
