The numbers have not been whitewashed yet because they belong to these last few weeks. But it is a reality that is obvious to anyone who zaps and scrolls through the Government’s favorite news channels: YPF’s advertising program appears more than ever in many of the journalistic programs that are in charge of giving the good news that the Government wants to spread in the midst of the exchange quake that could not even appease the bailout of the United States.
The ads from the state oil company take over the screen in this last stretch of the campaign – the same thing happened in the days before the Buenos Aires elections – and cause the billing of friendly channels to grow exponentially to compensate for the good vibes they demand from the Casa Rosada when it comes to reporting. Because YPF, as is known, is the great cash cow of official advertising, although the Government wrongly maintains that today it no longer spends in that area. The reality is that it does, not only through YPF, but also through Aerolíneas Argentinas and Banco Nación.
Let’s look at the numbers available. In 2024, the State oil company spent more than 97 billion pesos on government spending, and that added, in the first quarter of this year alone, another 32 billion. Faced with requests for reports and judicial presentations that, like Perfil’s, demand to know why the media that does not make it very official are discriminated against, and which allies of the Casa Rosada are going to spend that money, the YPF authorities only say that they are not obliged to give any answer because it is a “private company”, even though it has a majority shareholding from the State. Private company, but with public funds. Private with “ours”. And despite showing large losses in its latest balance sheet: 10 million dollars in the first quarter of 2025.
The YPF manager who decides on these advertising expenses – or, rather, obeys Santiago Caputo – is called Guillermo Garat. Garat and Milei’s advisor share the Move consulting firm with a third member, Rodrigo Lugones, the advisor of the star advisor and son of the Minister of Health, Mario. The three musketeers, Caputo, Garat and Lugones, were trained in the technical teams of the Ecuadorian advisor Jaime Durán Barba at the time they helped Mauricio Macri come to power. But today they are suspicious of the former president and work for another client, Milei. And they spend millions from the State to give their good news.
Image gallery
