Thousands of people gathered outside Congress yesterday to defend the country’s media law from proposed changes by new president Mauricio Macri.
Thousands joined the protest rally outside the National Congress building (Photo: Patricio Murphy)
The rally – the second this week and this time supported by officials from the opposition Frente para la Victoria (FpV) party – also included criticism of other recent announcements from Macri, including the naming of two Supreme Court judges by decree and the removal of currency controls.
There were also gatherings in other major cities across the country.
On his first day in office, President Macri created a new Communications Ministry and effectively modified the Media Law by giving it control of the Federal Administration of Audiovisual Communication Services (AFSCA) and the Federal Authority for Information Technology and Communications (AFTIC) — two autonomous bodies created by the law.
Communications Minister Oscar Aguad also stirred up controversy by saying in an interview with Prensa Latina that: “The regulation of the Media Law is not going to survive. Media will compete freely in the market and we will try to help the smallest.”
Under the slogan ‘Don’t Touch the Media Law’, the rally also included live music and several speakers, including union leaders, human rights activists, and political figures aligned to the FpV.
AFSCA president Martín Sabbatella, who has been under pressure to resign due to his close political connections with the FpV, closed the act with criticism of President Macri and the mainstream media.
“[Macri’s] economic measures represent a brutal transfer of resources from workers to corporations,” he told the crowd. “When there are popular governments big media groups articulate the strategy of the politic right to destabilise them. But when the governments represent their interests they work as a shield to allow them to move forward – that is what is happening now.”
AFSCA president Martín Sabbatella at yesterday’s rally outside Congress (Photo: Patricio Murphy)
The original goal of the 2009 Media Law was to open up the country’s broadcast media landscape by limiting how much one corporation could dominate the radio, television, and cable services scene.
The previous government tried to achieve this by forcing larger media companies to reduce in size and by creating new broadcasting licences for universities and community organisations. Critics argued that it was used by the government to pressure opposition media.
On the campaign trail, Macri said that the law “revealed an obsession the government had to fight with a media group,” referring to media giant Grupo Clarín, which was most affected by the law and has filed many legal appeals to prevent its application.
Macri also stated that his administration would seek to modify the law, including regulation for online media. “It’s incredible that there is a Media Law in the 21st century that does not take Internet into account,” Macri stated early in November.
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