“UNACCEPTABLE”: US Ambassador Peter Lamelas exploded before the Russian illegal disinformation network

In the midst of the growing scandal over foreign interference in Argentine politics, the United States ambassador to the country, Peter Lamelas, sent a strong message after learning about the scheme of illegal Russian funding to local media: “This is UNACCEPTABLE and must be thoroughly investigated!” . The declaration marks a strong international position in the face of a case that already transcends national borders and is being installed as an episode of institutional gravity. The diplomat's statement comes in the context of an investigation that revealed the existence of a coordinated structure from Russia that, since 2024, has deployed a systematic disinformation campaign in Argentina. The objective, according to the leaked documents, was to discredit the Government of Javier Milei, to influence public opinion and amplify political polarization, using technological tools, external financing and local operators

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The report details the publication of at least 250 paid articles in more than 20 digital media, with content critical to the economic plan and foreign policy of the ruling party, as well as messages favorable to Russia and against the United States. Among the media reached are C5N, Ámbito, Diario Con Vos, El Destape, Big Bang News, Registered Diario, A24, Realpolitik, Argentine Politics, Tiempo Argentino, Grito del Sur, El Cronista, Infocielo and Data Clave, among others. One of the most alarming aspects of the scheme was the use of fake journalists created with artificial intelligence, designed to give the content an appearance of legitimacy. Cases such as that of Manuel Godsin, whose identity was completely denied, or the fictitious profiles of Gabriel Di Taranto, Juan Carlos López and Marcelo Lopreiatto,

show the level of sophistication of the maneuver.

In economic terms, the documents reveal concrete figures that account for the scope of the operation: in one medium, 26 articles were identified for a total of 28,600 dollars, while in another, 17 publications were registered for 32,500 dollars, confirming the existence of a sustained flow of resources aimed at influencing the Argentine public agenda

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The impact of the case also reached internal media structures. In A24, journalist Pablo Winokur was identified as the alleged author of ten Russian-funded notes, which led to the opening of an internal summary and the media's decision to make itself available to justice. For his part, in Infobae, the trade unionist Juan Pablo Piscetta would have published two articles linked to this network, for which he would have received close to 1000 dollars, generating a strong conflict

within the editorial staff.

The consequences of the scandal were also transferred to the social and digital levels. Libertarian influencer Daniel Parisini, known as “El Gordo Dan”, promoted the hashtag #LosTrollsEranUstedes, which quickly became a number 1 trend, singling out media sectors for their alleged participation in these operations

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Even Argentine football came under suspicion after the appearance of demonstrations with international political content. On August 24, 2024, during a game between Huracán and Argentinos Juniors at the Independente stadium, a 20-by-2-meter flag was displayed with the name of Ukraine crossed out and the slogan “Yes to football, no to war”, interpreted as part of a narrative aligned

with Russian interests.

Faced with this scenario, President Javier Milei was categorical in describing the case as “of an institutional gravity rarely seen in history”, and warned that many of the actors involved could be just “the tip of the iceberg” of a much deeper network.

Far from being an isolated hypothesis, the Argentine Intelligence Secretariat itself had already detected these maneuvers and brought them to the attention of the Justice. In parallel, the Government made progress at the beginning of 2026 with the amendment of the National Intelligence Act through a DNU, within the framework of a strategy to modernize the system and strengthen the State's capacities in the face of new hybrid threats

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The message left by the case is strong: Argentina is facing not only an internal political dispute, but also an offensive of foreign influence that seeks to condition its institutional direction. In this context, the international support expressed by Peter Lamelas reinforces the Government's position and increases pressure for the investigation to proceed to the last consequences

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