Argentine Ambassador Rebukes Italian Newspaper

Over the past few weeks Argentina’s government has been at loggerheads with several countries across the Atlantic.

Several days ago, Argentine Foreign Minister Hectór Timerman clamed that his country will control the disputed Falklands Islands “within twenty years.”  Last week Timerman and Israeli officials criticized each other after Argentine and Iranian diplomats agreed to creating a joint “truth commission” to investigate the deadly 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center.

In the latest incident, Argentina’s ambassador to Italy criticized a recent opinion article that appeared in the Corriere della Sera entitled “The Creative ‘Lies’ of Our Argentine Friends”.

In a letter sent to the chief editor of the influential newspaper, Ambassador Torcuato Di Tella called for “a little more balanced news coverage.”

“I know very well that your newspaper doesn’t treat Italian politics tenderly…Anyway, among so many news stories a little fun isn’t too bad.  But I expected the Corriere, which I read and keep many articles written by teachers, colleagues and friends as Sartori, Panebianco, Sapelli, a little more balanced news coverage," Di Tella said in his communique.

The article in question was originally published on Monday’s edition of the Italian daily and was a tongue-in-cheek critique of Argentina’s fudging of key economic data. 

The article that was written by a Corriere’s correspondent in Brazil did not pull punches:

“Candidates in elections lie and they know it.  Various regimes tell lies during and after they exercise their functions. Then there is the case of Argentina, where exaggerations, omissions and lies always seem to be part an affair of the state, a tradition that never dies.”

Among the “creative lies” alleged in the article are the “myths” about Eva Perón, Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” and President Cristina Kirchner’s claim that she “always speaks with journalists.”

The International Monetary Fund issued a "declaration of censure" against Argentina last week regarding flawed information over inflation and GDP growth.

Video Source– YouTube via user enprimeravueta (2007 presidential campaign ad for Cristina Kirchner that criticized the International Monetary Fund).

Online Sources - Corriere della Sera, ITV News, mercopress, TN.ar, La Nacion, Reuters