Argentina's president denies new intelligence plan could enable surveillance of journalists and politicians

CNN

4 days ago

The office of Argentinian President Javier Milei denied a bombshell series of reports that alleged the country's intelligence agency had approved a new plan that could enable the surveillance of journalists, politicians and economists.
The reporting, by journalist Hugo Alconada Mon in the newspaper La Nación, looked into a leaked national intelligence plan by Argentina's State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) that he says outlines general intelligence objectives such as preventing terrorism and combating organized crime, but is also filled with 'generalizations, gray areas and ambiguities,' the report reads.
'For example, the SIDE has the power to gather information on all those who seek to 'erode' public confidence in the officials in charge of ensuring the nation's security,' but it doesn't specify if it's referring to foreign agents or experts, journalists and citizens who question actions by the national security minister, Alconada Mon's article continues.
Milei's office on May 25 confirmed the existence of a new intelligence plan but denied that it would be used for such purposes.
Alconada Mon, one of Argentina's most renowned investigative reporters and deputy editor of La Nación, said he verified the authenticity of the 170-page document with two independent sources.
'It's written in such an ambiguous way that it allows you to apply it correctly or in a disturbing way,' he told CNN.
CNN has not had access to the document, nor could CNN independently verify it.
Alconada Mon said one interpretation is that the plan is meant to counter potential actions from foreign powers, such as Russia's alleged attempts to influence elections in other countries.
'So, as a sovereign nation, we have to ensure that other foreign powers don't try this. And in this case, the objective is valid. But as it is written, it could also actually be referring to analysts, politicians, journalists, or anyone else who might offer their opinion. And that's where you enter a murky area,' Alconada Mon said to CNN.
The president's office rejected the notion, saying in a statement: 'This is the first government in decades that has made the political decision not to use the SIDE to persecute opponents, journalists, and political adversaries.'
CNN's Michael Rios contributed to this story.