BUENOS AIRES – Workers at Argentina’s state news agency Telam found the doors of the 80-year-old institution locked on Monday and were told to stop their vehicles for at least a week after libertarian President Javier Milei said he would close the agency.
An internal memo shared with Reuters showed Telam’s website was closed, with a sign saying it was offline for reconstruction, and workers were given a seven-day furlough. Police were outside the offices and were not allowing people inside.
The situation underscores Milei’s campaign against a range of public institutions he says are inefficient, overly costly or corrupt. He said Telam was a propaganda mouthpiece for the powerful left-leaning Peronist opposition.
The foreign economist and former expert, who won a shock election victory last year, is fighting to reverse an inherited economic crisis with tough austerity measures to reduce inflation to 250%, rebuild depleted reserves and close a deep fiscal deficit.
His government claims this includes having to make tough decisions to cut costs and reduce the size of the province.
Workers and opposition politicians say the attempt to close Telam, which was founded in 1945 and employs around 800 people, is an attack on the press.
“This is a blow to democracy and freedom of expression, and that’s why we will defend it,” the Buenos Aires Press Union told X. Protests are planned for later on Monday, with Telam workers also joining in.
The Argentine Foreign Correspondents’ Association said the state news agency was important to ensure a balanced and accessible media environment, adding that Telam should be “reformed but not destroyed” if there were problems to be solved.
Milei, who has repeatedly criticized Telam, told Congress late on Friday that he would close it. He reposted a comment from lawmakers over the weekend about X: “Telam should be closed, there is no reason for it to exist.”
It is not yet clear whether Telam will remain closed permanently or reopen after a temporary closure. REUTERS
