The block of Unión por la Patria (UP) members of Congress met with union representatives from Télam state news agency to discuss the possibility of a proposed bill to guarantee Télam’s operations. They underlined the importance of public media for democracy.
One of the aspects of the conflict that Télam staff have to go through is explaining once and again in Congress the role of this state agency that was created over 78 years ago, in order to advance with the passing of a proposed bill that creates a new Télam.
In a difficult context marked by the agency’s offices being suddenly fenced off and guarded by Federal Police, and auditor Diego Chaher’s decision to give “leave” to the entire agency staff, thus interrupting the informative services, UP members of Congress received a Télam delegation formed by representatives of Buenos Aires Press Union (Sipreba) and of the Federation of Press Workers (Fatpren).
Regarding the meeting, Buenos Aires Congresswoman Victoria Tolosa Paz said: “We analyzed this difficult context that Télam press workers are going through”.
In her X account, Tolosa Paz posted: “We will continue defending the news agency that Milei’s administration wants to shut down, since it is essential to guarantee the access to information and freedom of speech”.
In turn, Buenos Aires City legislator Lorena Pokoik said that “defending Télam means defending our informative sovereignty; it means not letting public and federal information in the hands of the private sector; it means preventing foreign voices telling us about our own reality”.
During the meeting, legislators expressed their support to the struggle of Télam workers and underlined “the importance of public media for democracy”.
Among the members of Congress present, some were related to national unions, like Mario ‘Paco’ Manrique (Smata), Sergio Palazzo (Bancaria) and Hugo Yasky (CTA). Legislators Juan Marino, Agustina Propato, Carlos Castagneto, Daniel Gollán and Leila Chaer were also present at the meeting.