The electoral campaign added an unexpected chapter after two media figures were formally reported to the Federal Justice. Brancatelli and Rosemblat were accused of having spread messages that, according to the complainants, could have "misled" libertarian voters in the province of Buenos Aires.
The legal filing is based on Article 140 of the National Electoral Code, which establishes prison sentences of two months to two years for "anyone who, by means of deception, induces another to vote in a certain way or to abstain from doing so."
The conflict erupted after public statements by both communicators about how to vote for La Libertad Avanza in Buenos Aires. In that jurisdiction, the single paper ballot still includes the name of José Luis Espert, although the first candidate for that party is Diego Santilli.
During an episode of Argenzuela (C5N), Diego Brancatelli made ironic remarks about this peculiarity of the ballot and mockingly suggested "crossing out Espert's name and writing Santilli by hand."
Meanwhile, Pedro Rosemblat, during a live broadcast on his streaming channel, made a comment that quickly went viral: "Remember that if, when you enter the voting booth, you see that Santilli is not on the ballot, you have to leave and say out loud 'Santilli is missing from the ballot! I want to vote for Santilli'. That way, the poll watcher and the table president can count your vote."
According to the complainants, these messages, although presented with irony, "could have misled thousands of voters, affecting the transparency and freedom of the vote." The document submitted to the Federal Justice argues that the conduct of both journalists was "manifestly irresponsible" in a context of high electoral sensitivity.
The National Electoral Chamber publicly clarified that it is neither necessary nor valid to modify the ballots, and that any handwritten annotation may invalidate the vote. "The correct indication is printed on the ballot; any addition or crossing out may lead to annulment," the agency stated.
From the libertarian camp, the response was immediate. Several party-affiliated accounts called for the videos to be reported to the Electoral Justice, while the Director of Digital Communication of Casa Rosada, Juan Pablo Carreia, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "If a libertarian communicator had done something similar, he would already be criminally charged."
