Argentina: Russian Spy Network Ran Disinformation Campaign

Russian-Linked Spy Network Reportedly Ran Disinformation Campaign Against Argentina’s Milei ARGENTINA Argentina An international media investigation has found that a Russian-linked spy network ran a disinformation campaign in 2024 aimed at undermining Argentine President Javier Milei’s administration and influencing public opinion. The report, released Friday by a media consortium including the UK-based openDemocracy and South Africa’s The Continent, detailed how the network known as “La Compañía” (The Company) infiltrated Argentine media and funded the publication of more than 250 articles across at least 23 outlets between June and October 2024. The network reportedly spent at least $283,100 on media content, paying between $350 and $3,100 per article. The campaign placed stories to discredit Milei’s administration, sow divisions within the ruling coalition, support opposition figures and stir tensions with neighboring countries. One false report claimed Milei sent a sabotage team to attack a gas pipeline in Chile. Many articles lacked bylines or were attributed to fake authors using AI-generated images. The network’s operations in Argentina were led by Russian nationals Lev Andriashvili and Irina Iakovenko, who were based in Buenos Aires. Observers suggested the campaign was driven by Argentina’s foreign policy shift toward the United States after Milei’s election, including his support for Ukraine and invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his inauguration. The disinformation campaign lost momentum after Argentina distanced itself from Kyiv following the election of US President Donald Trump. Milei described the leak as one of “institutional gravity rarely seen in history” and vowed to “go all the way” to identify those responsible. His La Libertad Avanza party said “‘journalists’ and ‘media outlets’ linked to this are only the tip of the iceberg of something much bigger.” Argentina’s domestic intelligence agency said it uncovered the operation last year and referred it to the judiciary in October. The Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires dismissed the findings as “anti-Russian material,” while several editors named in the report denied involvement. The documents also showed that La Compañía was operating similar campaigns at the time in Bolivia to support then-President Luis Arce, as well as in Venezuela to boost now-ousted President Nicolás Maduro’s image after the disputed July 2024 presidential elections.