"Urgent" letter to Menem and Villarruel: deputies demand reversal of restrictions on the press in the Legislative Assembly

The unprecedented restrictions that the Government is seeking to impose on the work of accredited press and photojournalists during the Legislative Assembly on Saturday, when Javier Milei will attend the opening of the ordinary sessions of Congress, are causing deep concern. On Wednesday, deputies from different parties - and representing almost the entire political spectrum - sent a note to the presidents of the Senate, Victoria Villarruel, and of the House of Representatives, Martín Menem, in which they request a review of the restrictions "on an urgent basis, guaranteeing that accredited journalists and photojournalists can carry out their work with complete freedom, as has historically occurred in this area."

The signatory deputies say they have taken note of "the restrictions imposed on accredited journalists in both Chambers of the National Congress, as well as the prohibition of the work of photojournalists in covering the Legislative Assembly."

"This incorrect restriction directly undermines the right to freedom of expression and of the press, and violates fundamental principles enshrined in our National Constitution," they say.

Among other concepts, they add that "Congress is the home of democracy and cannot become a place where the free exercise of journalism is restricted." In this sense, and given that the restrictions were ordered from the Casa Rosada, presumably by the presidential sister, Karina Milei, who supervises this type of events, the deputies remember that the President himself, "in accordance with the Constitution, attends as a guest to give an account of the state of the Nation. This is not a partisan act or a personal prerogative."

The letter was signed by, among others, deputies Juan Manuel López and Maximiliano Ferraro (Civic Coalition), the head of the Encuentro Federal interbloc, Miguel Angel Pichetto, the head of the Union for the Homeland bloc, Germán Martínez, the Cordoban of Encuentro Federal, Oscar Agost-Carreño, the radical Karina Banfi and the also radical Pablo Juliano, from the rebel radicalism of Democracy Forever.

But pro-government allies such as the head of the PRO bloc, Cristian Ritondo, his bloc colleague and specialist in freedom of expression issues, Silvana Giudici, and Oscar Zago, from the MID, also joined the request.

At the same time, on Wednesday afternoon the Circle of Parliamentary Journalists (CPP), which brings together the press accredited to Congress, met in the Senate to analyze the unprecedented situation that has arisen. At the end of the meeting, they issued a statement in which the CPP "deplores and rejects the decision of the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, and of the Senate, Victoria Villarruel, to prevent access by journalists accredited to the National Congress to the boxes that have historically been assigned to the media during the Legislative Assembly next Saturday."

"This is an unconsulted decision, unprecedented in more than a century of journalistic work in Parliament, and without an explanation of the reasons why this unnecessary obstacle is placed in the way of reporting on one of the most important events of the legislative year, such as the State of the Nation address that the President offers every March 1st to begin the period of ordinary sessions," they continued.

The statement added: "All guests usually have designated boxes for the event and it is incomprehensible why journalists are being discriminated against in this absolutely irrational and senseless way."

"The most regrettable thing - the statement continued - is that the authorities of both Chambers have taken this measure without any need, since the accredited press has historically occupied these boxes without any incident being recorded that justifies a decision of this nature."

Finally, and having received information from the authorities of the House itself that the decision to impose restrictions comes from the Casa Rosada itself, the Circle of Parliamentary Journalists expressed that it "regrets that another branch of the State, such as Congress, gives in to the orders of the Executive Branch, and hereby requests the heads of both legislative chambers to review this measure."

The boxes that have been reserved for the press for decades, on the first floor, have now been assigned to "guests of the Presidency." Photojournalists are also not allowed into the premises.