Setbacks in democratic communication in Argentina
El CLACSO Working Group on the Political Economy of Information, Communication and Culture CLACSO warns of serious setbacks regarding cultural diversity and democratic communication in the Argentine Republic.
The matrix of a strong presidentialism as a feature of the country's political system, and the preceding economic crisis, have been exploited by President Javier Milei, who took office in December 2023, and who launched centralist and autocratic initiatives against the institutions and public policies that were in place until now.
In a context of uncertainty and promises of "change with a chainsaw", the economic adjustment began to be implemented under strong ideological accusations and mistreatment in the media discourse and repression in the streets.
Decree 70/2023, issued by Emergency Decree 70/2023, enacted sweeping deregulation with social, political, economic, labor, and cultural impacts that are inconsistent with a presidential decree, effectively granting the Presidency powers belonging to the Legislative Branch. This situation, challenged through legal and parliamentary channels but not effectively reversed, has intensified the threat to public media systems and audiovisual content production. The elimination of the "State-Owned Companies" designation, for example, enabled the intervention and restructuring of Public Television and National Radio stations (where more than 100 layoffs have been reported), while the government announced the closure of the Télam news agency—the only agency with nationwide reach, with correspondents in every province and over 800 subscriber media outlets. From this Working Group we reject these measures which, in addition to their reported illegality, demonstrate an infringement on progressive policies guaranteeing the rights of audiences and citizens.
Furthermore, Decree 70/2023 amended regulations related to the communications sector, particularly the Audiovisual Communication Services Law (26.522 LSCA) and the Telecommunications and ICTs Law (27.078 Argentina Digital). Regarding the LSCA, it deregulated the system of multiple licenses at the national level, allowing for virtually unlimited media concentration at both the national and market levels. Similarly, the amendments to the Argentina Digital Law deregulated the cable and satellite TV market, enabling large players in both sectors to operate without any control over asymmetries in other markets, severely impacting SMEs and cooperative providers.
The “Omnibus” or “Bases” Bill, which President Milei attempted to push through but was rejected in February 2024, reveals ambitions to privatize all public companies involved in the production and distribution of audiovisual content, and to cut funding for film, music, theater, and arts development institutes. While this objective was not achieved in law, in practice, the national government's resources and relationships with these sectors of the cultural and information and communication industries are being defunded and frozen.
At the same time, we observe the growth of precarious situations for workers in different sectors of culture and the press in particular, who also become the object of systematic attacks by the President and his political force.
At the heart of the matter, each of these listed situations affects fundamental rights to freedom of expression and information for all citizens and puts at risk the continuity of key institutions for the validity, guarantee and promotion of the human right to communication.
The CLACSO Working Group on Political Economy of Information, Communication and Culture demands that government measures in Argentina comply with constitutional principles, promote democratic debate, and suspend provocations that seek to silence dissenting voices through repressive means.
With the active memory of researchers from different Latin American countries, we remember that a democracy is built on the participation of the three branches of government, and above all on a dynamic society that can have predictability and the capacity to organize, overcome situations of poverty, and renew its emancipatory projects.
March 6th 2024
CLACSO Working Group
Political Economy of Information, Communication and Culture
This text expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Group and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.
