The dissemination of a report from the TN channel, in which the journalists involved Ignacio Salerno and Luciana Geuna They recorded and displayed with a hidden camera—hidden in glasses—images of hallways and internal spaces of the Casa Rosada without official authorization, resulting in a scandal. The material, broadcast on television, led to a formal complaint from the Military House, the body in charge of presidential security, which framed the event as a possible case of “illegal espionage” and considered it a violation of the building’s security protocols.
The episode quickly escalated into a political-institutional conflict. From the national government, the Secretary of Communication, Javier Lanari, He justified the subsequent measures by pointing out that “the decision… was taken preventively in response to Casa Militar’s complaint for illegal espionage” and that the objective was “to guarantee national security.” In this context, an unprecedented measure was resolved: the fingerprint system that allowed about 60 accredited journalists to enter the Casa Rosada was disabled and the press room was closed, completely restricting media access to the government building.
The official reaction was interpreted by journalistic organizations as disproportionate, since it affected all those accredited and not only those involved in the filming. He Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA) warned that the decision implied “a measure of extreme institutional gravity” by limiting citizen control over government acts.
In parallel, the journalist Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Ortelli from A24 became one of the most critical voices towards his TN colleagues, although from a different perspective than the official one. In a television appearance, he questioned both the method used and the journalistic value of the report and targeted Salerno directly. “This guy from another channel turned out to be a fool,” he said, adding: “I think the report is very stupid… it didn’t give it any journalistic value.” He also considered the use of hidden devices unnecessary: “With a phone you can record whatever you want… you don’t have to go incognito.”
Ortelli, however, also indirectly criticized the Government by warning that the official reaction was foreseeable in the political context: “I knew this was going to happen… it is a very sensitive moment,” he said, alluding to the climate of tension between Javier Milei’s administration and the press.
So far, the scandal has combined several levels of conflict: on the one hand, the Military House’s complaint against the journalists for alleged security violations; on the other, the decision of the Executive to restrict access to all accredited press as a preventive measure.
Finally, a strong debate within journalism itself about the limits and ethics of hidden cameras. At this intersection, Ortelli’s statements synthesized a critical stance towards the procedure used by TN, while the Mileist administration used the episode as a basis to tighten its policy of access to information in the Casa Rosada.
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