The government denied that it uses the SIDE to persecute journalists and opponents.

Following a rumor circulating in recent hours, the government issued a statement denying that it is using the State Intelligence Secretariat ( SIDE ) to persecute journalists or political opponents. At the same time, they indicated that the National Intelligence Plan is a "secret document" and did not provide details about its foundation and/or operation.

"The Office of the President denies the media reports published about the alleged objectives of the National Intelligence Plan. This is the first administration in decades that has made the political decision not to use the SIDE (Internet Intelligence Service) to persecute opponents, journalists, or political adversaries ," they stated in the statement shared on social media.

Along these same lines, they asserted that "President Javier Milei ordered the reconstruction of the National Intelligence System, which was destroyed by previous administrations in their eagerness to settle political disputes by abusing its resources. The National Intelligence Plan is a secret document that establishes the guidelines of the Intelligence System to promote Argentina's strategic interests ," they clarified.

"Only the President, the Intelligence Secretariat, and the Permanent Bicameral Commission for the Oversight of Intelligence Agencies of the National Congress have access to it," they concluded in the document issued by the Government regarding this SIDE plan.

In recent hours, it has come to light that the head of the SIDE, Sergio Neiffert , created a 170-page document defining the country's strategic interests to outline general intelligence objectives. Among the highlights was the possibility of gathering information on anyone who "erodes" public trust in government officials, such as anyone who criticizes Patricia Bullrich's anti-picket protocol.

Furthermore, the SIDE reportedly targeted all those actors who generate or could generate a "loss of confidence" in the government's "economic policies." This last point is crucial because specialized journalists are the ones who possess this capacity, and therefore they would also be targeted.