The journalist Diego Brancatelli was at the center of a strong controversy on social networks and in the political debate after a comment about the gendarme Nahuel Gallorecently released from a Venezuelan prison after more than a year of detention. The phrase, uttered on television, quickly went viral and made it a trend.
The controversy arose during the program Argenzuelaled by Jorge Rial on C5N, where the panel analyzed the return of the Argentine non-commissioned officer to the country. In that context, Brancatelli slipped in a reflection that generated immediate rejection even among his own program colleagues.
“I don’t know if he knew where he was going, because if he knows that as a Gendarmerie corporal he is going to earn 700 lucas, after listening to the President and seeing how Argentina is… I don’t know if he doesn’t choose to stay in El Rodeo“said the journalist when referring to the Venezuelan prison where Gallo was detained.
The phrase caused discomfort in the studio and was quickly questioned on air. But the greatest impact occurred on social networks, where the fragment of the program was disseminated massively and generated a wave of criticism against the panelist.
The background: the Nahuel Gallo case
The comment came hours after Nahuel Gallo will speak publicly for the first time after returning to Argentina. The gendarme had remained 448 days detained in Venezuelaaccused by the regime of Nicolas Maduro of participating in alleged terrorist activities.
During his testimony, Gallo avoided detailing the treatment he received but admitted having suffered “psychological torture” in jail The Rodeo Iin Caracas, where he remained incommunicado for much of his detention.
His release took place on March 1, 2026 within the framework of an amnesty and after diplomatic and political efforts that allowed his return to the country.
Political and media reactions
Brancatelli’s statements generated an immediate political reaction. The Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrichharshly criticized the comment and described it as inappropriate in light of the suffering experienced by the gendarme during his captivity.
The issue also opened a strong debate in the media. In television and radio programs, several journalists questioned the phrase for relativizing the seriousness of imprisonment in Venezuela, while messages of repudiation multiplied on social networks.
In parallel, the episode once again brought into discussion the climate of political polarization that permeates the Argentine public debate, where even humanitarian or diplomatic situations end up crossed by partisan readings.
Within hours, the name of Brancatelli was among the main trends on X (ex Twitter), evidencing how a television comment can quickly become a viral phenomenon and a new chapter in the political and media dispute.
