MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Journalist pledges to file concurrent lawsuits against Milei

I had to do something; otherwise, I'd be admitting that what Milei said was true, Lanata argued

Argentine President Javier Milei will face two lawsuits against him from journalist Jorge Lanata, whom the head of state said was getting paid under the table to criticize him for allowing Israeli Ambassador Eyal Sela, a foreign national and a representative of another government, to participate in a local cabinet meeting.

“Criticism yes. Lies no”, stressed Milei. “Jorgito, don't lie. In the meeting, the ambassador told the official vision of Israel and then left,” the President stressed. Only then did the cabinet meeting begin, Milei insisted while arguing that the newsperson had been given “an envelope” to make those remarks and would therefore be sued for it.

During his morning radio show on Tuesday, Lanata said his legal team was drafting two lawsuits against Milei, one of a criminal nature to file slander charges, whereas the civil proceedings would seek reparation for the president's comments.

During a conversation with visiting journalist Chiche Gelblung, Lanata stressed that his wife Elba Marcovecchio and his long-time solicitor Patricio Carballés were penning the filings.

“Two lawsuits will be filed, one civil and one criminal,” Lanata explained. “I think it is outrageous that the President is accusing journalism of wrongdoing. Because, basically, to be called an 'ensobrado' is to be accused. As if you were paid” under the table for your work.

“If I do nothing, I am accepting it; therefore I must do something because, otherwise, I am saying yes,” Lanata insisted. “I am not going to say yes because it is a lie.”

Gelblung replied that “Javier Milei made a habit of talking [dirty] about deputies, journalists and since no one sued him because he was never specific, I think it is very good that someone put a stop to it.”

Milei claimed that Lanata responded to former Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta who seems to have broken up with former President Mauricio Macri's Propuesta Republicana (PRO) and is seeking to position himself within the Argentine political spectrum after the virtual dismantling of the old Juntos por el Cambio (JxC) coalition.

“It would be good that the Larretist Lanata is well informed about the meeting,” Milei also wrote on X.