President Javier Milei’s government has pushed back against a report in the La Nación newspaper alleging that a new plan for Argentina’s intelligence services may lead to the investigation of critical journalists, experts and opposition figures.
Journalist Hugo Alconada Mon revealed in last Sunday’s edition of the newspaper that Argentina’s SIDE (Secretaría de Inteligencia del Estado) agency has approved a new strategic plan for the coming years.
A leaked 170-page document outlining the new National Intelligence Plan – which La Nación said was verified by two independent sources – contemplates the possibility of domestic espionage on those who seek to “erode” confidence in public officials or trigger a “loss of confidence” in the economic policies of President Javier Milei, said Alcomondra Mon.
The 170-page plan, the investigative reporter said, allows intelligence agents to gather intelligence on journalists, economists, academics and other critics of President Javier Milei and his government.
The intelligence plan also includes such traditional aims as the prevention of drug-trafficking, terrorism, the fight against organised crime and safeguarding Argentine interests in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic.
The document, classified as secret according to La Nación, establishes broad lines for the promotion of Argentina’s strategic interests. According to the alleged document, only the President, the Intelligence Secretariat and the Congress Permanent Bicameral Monitoring Committee had access to the plan.
According to a lawyer who leaked the document, the plan could apply to those who question the decisions of Milei and his ministers, including journalists and experts.
Milei’s office pushed back on the claims without denying the plan’s existence. Via a communiqué published on social media, it affirmed that “this is the first government in decades which has decided not to use the SIDE to persecute opposition politicians or journalists.”
The statement said the President “has ordered the reconstruction of the national intelligence system, destroyed by previous administrations which abused its funds for political infighting.”
In recent statements, government officials, including President Milei, have called for “more hatred” of the non-aligned press, warning that some may seek to “manipulate” public opinion during the election campaign or spread misinformation.
The plan, reportedly developed under the leadership of Sergio Neiffert and the SIDE helm, allegedly approves the investigation of figures promoting the “distortion” of the public “perception,” especially when using artificial intelligence.
Neiffert reportedly answers to top presidential advisor Santiago Caputo, who – along with President Milei and Presidential Chief-of-Staff Karina Milei – forms part of the so-called “iron triangle” that leads the government.
Earlier this month, President Milei approved a budget boost of more than 25 billion pesos for the SIDE intelligence services to reinforce the plan and its strategic goals.
According to Administrative Decision 10/2025, published in the Official Gazette, the Milei administration assigned an extra 25.25 billion pesos (around US$22 million) to SIDE, raising its total budget for this year to 80.872 billion (around US$70.7 million).
Co-signed by Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos and Economy Minister Luis Caputo, the resolution earmarked 13.436 billion for reserved or discretionary expenditure, to be directly administered by SIDE chief Neiffert.
In late 2023, President Milei triggered controversy by allocating more than 100 billion pesos to the intelligence services, despite fierce austerity measures across the government that slashed public spending.
The official justification was that “it is timely to make budget compensations between the undersecretariats of the Security and Defence Ministries and SIDE,” without furnishing any more details as to the destination of those funds.
In a post on social media on Monday, Alconada Mon alleged that unknown individuals had attempted to hack his personal devices and email accounts, soon after his article was published online.
– TIMES/PERFIL
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