In a move reminiscent of the Chavista propaganda tactics, the presidential spokesman of Argentina, Manuel Adorni, has launched his own streaming program to attack journalists who criticize the government of Javier Milei. The new show, titled «Fake, 7, 8,» bears a striking resemblance to the emblematic «6, 7, 8» program that was featured on the Public TV during the Cristina Fernández de Kirchner administration between 2009 and 2015.
The «6, 7, 8» program was known for its panel of commentators and activists who would edit, comment on, and discredit any dissenting voices in the media, particularly those from the Clarín Group, such as the late Jorge Lanata. Beyond the propaganda, «6, 7, 8» also gained notoriety for irregularities, such as the payment of exaggerated salaries to journalists who were far from being relevant figures in the media ecosystem, as well as the government of Mauricio Macri’s (Cambiemos) complaint to the Anti-Corruption Office about the transfer of around 30 million Argentine pesos from the National Social Security Administration (ANSES) to the Public TV to sustain a program that was prohibited from commercializing advertising spaces for the state.
Milei Follows in the Kirchnerist Footsteps
Now, a decade later, Milei has followed in the footsteps of Kirchnerism through the Secretary of Communication and Media of the Argentine Nation, Manuel Adorni, who before arriving at the Casa Rosada in 2023 worked as a columnist and panelist in various radio and news channels, never as a leading figure. Until he made his dream come true from the state.
The «Fake, 7, 8» Program
The first episode of «Fake, 7, 8,» which aired on July 11, lasts about 40 minutes and is titled «Suitcases, Fog, and a Lot of Smoke.» The aesthetic chosen by Adorni is reminiscent of the Chavista Diosdado Cabello, who delivers Nicolás Maduro’s propaganda to the Venezuelan people under the title «Con el mazo dando.» An army of social media accounts replicates the messages, just like in the Argentine libertarian proposal.
In the debut, Milei’s spokesman expressed his dissatisfaction with a «very impressive» number of fake news that came from the mouths of journalists, both the most critical of Milei’s management and the «allies» in terms of editorial line. One of the segments of the stream targeted the «suitcase gate,» where the irregularities of officials who allowed the passage of suitcases from a plane from Miami, which transported Laura Belén Arrieta, linked to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and the organizing committee, with apparent access to President Milei, are being investigated.
Adorni, who had previously called those who questioned the lack of controls «imbeciles,» started whistling while showing fragments of different journalists talking about the scandal: «The only thing they dedicated themselves to was hitting the Government for the suitcases. Only two suitcases belonged to Laura Belén Arrieta, and the others to the crew, which the pilot confirmed. I think there was a guitar, a stuffed animal, an inflatable… Three silly things.»
The program also refuted a news story about the alleged closure of the National Cancer Institute, clarifying that it will not be closed, but rather transformed, with a smaller administrative structure. And it added questions to other communicators who said that the suspension of Milei’s trip on Independence Day (July 9) was not due to fog at the airport, but rather the absence of the governors.
After conducting a survey among the YouTube audience, the Argentine official awarded the «Pinocho» prize to the best fake news of the week.
According to Adorni, a protégé of the Milei brothers and a future legislator of the City of Buenos Aires, «Fake, 7, 8» will continue every Friday afternoon on the internet, but it already has plans to broadcast simultaneously on Twitch or on open television channels.
While the Milei government boasts of saving in the state, including the use of a chainsaw, it does not apply the same way to the Communication and Media Secretariat led by Adorni. According to the management report of the Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francos, presented in November 2024, the official spokesman has a staff of 208 agents, considering both managerial positions and rank-and-file employees.
