EXCLUSIVE: FOPEA received support from the British Embassy to promote its agenda in Argentina

An investigation carried out by Kalina Ann for La Derecha Diario revealed the sustained links between the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA) and the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Argentina. The case raises an uncomfortable question for the local media ecosystem: why a foreign diplomatic representation finances or supports activities related to journalism, justice and the training of communicators in the country

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According to the documentation collected, FOPEA had the support of the British Embassy in different initiatives over the years. In 2015, the X International Congress of Journalism FOPEA, which brought together more than 300 journalists and students, included among its institutional endorsements the British Embassy. The meeting addressed sensitive issues for the public agenda, such as freedom of expression, investigative journalism, digital tools for journalists and challenges to Argentinian journalism

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The link was not limited to that background. In the FOPEA accounting documentation for the year ended June 30, 2023, there is a specific reference to “British Embassy Project Expenses”, in the annex of expenses for specific purposes. The data confirms that it was not just a protocol mention or a circumstantial photo, but rather an institutional relationship sustained

over time.

The research also points out that, in 2024, FOPEA organized an activity on “disinformation”, a concept increasingly used by sectors of the political, media and diplomatic establishment to intervene in public debate. Among the participants was Hugo Alconada Mon, one of the journalists most critical of Javier Milei's government and a regular speaker of fake news against

the ruling party.

In addition, in March of this year, the British Embassy in Argentina itself publicly announced its support for the project “Journalism focused on Justice Solutions”, promoted by FOPEA together with the Civil Association for Equality and Justice and the Federal

Judicial Journalism Network.

FOPEA presents itself as an organization dedicated to defending “journalistic quality”, freedom of expression (while proposing to regulate social networks) and professional standards. However, the support of a foreign embassy with marked differences with respect to Argentine sovereignty opens up a discussion about the interests that may be behind this type of funding.