Argentina Accuses Foreign-Backed Spying Ahead of Midterm Vote

The Argentine government has accused unidentified actors of running an illegal spying and disinformation campaign aimed at disrupting this year’s legislative elections.

The Presidential Spokesperson’s Office said private conversations of senior officials, including Karina Milei, sister and Secretary-General to President Javier Milei, were secretly recorded and then leaked in stages to influence voters.

Officials argue this was not a random leak but a planned effort that could have taken place inside the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace. The government described it as an unprecedented breach of institutional security.

A federal judge responded with an injunction that bans the release of any audios recorded inside the palace, but the order does not stop the media from covering the case itself.

Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said the operation showed signs of involvement from Russian and Venezuelan intelligence. These claims remain under investigation, but they add an international dimension to what might otherwise be a domestic scandal.

The case also overlaps with another sensitive issue. Days before the spying complaint, leaked audios linked Diego Spagnuolo, then head of the National Disability Agency, to alleged irregularities in state drug procurement.

He was removed from his post by presidential decree. During raids, investigators seized bundles of cash including $266,000 and several million pesos from an associate of a government supplier, raising suspicions of inflated contracts.

Election timing heightens the stakes. Argentina will hold its midterm vote on 26 October 2025, with Buenos Aires Province voting earlier on 7 September.

For the first time, the election will use a single paper ballot system nationwide. Any perception of manipulation or foreign interference could directly affect confidence in these contests.

More: Argentina news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

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