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A 23-year-old man from the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Parque Avellaneda was arrested on charges of disseminating content about attacks against Jewish and LGBT communities. During a raid on his home, the Argentine Federal Police (PFA) found explosives, weapons, and Nazi literature, police sources reported today. The raid was ordered by Judge Ariel Lijo, head of the National Federal Criminal and Correctional Court No. 6.

Sexual diversity organizations expressed that this is an “extremely alarming” event that must be “understood in the national and regional context of tolerance by far-right governments and political parties that demonize difference.”

According to reports from the Specialized Cybercrime Unit (Ufeci), the man used the Telegram platform to share information about planning attacks through the "Nazi chat" channel. In this virtual space, the suspect connected with people of the same ideology and even stated: "My dream is to exterminate the Jews and the gays."

The investigation is being handled by the National Federal Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 12, headed by Alejandra Mangano, with Carina Jaime as Secretary. Based on reports from the Ufeci (Special Prosecutor's Office Against Corruption), the Prosecutor's Office ordered agents from the Anti-Terrorist Investigation Unit (DUIA) of the Federal Police (PFA) to conduct a series of inquiries to identify the perpetrator and determine their whereabouts. The perpetrator was located in the Parque Avellaneda neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The case involves charges of "Public Intimidation and Violation of Law 23.592, Article 3."

"He deserves the condemnation of the entire political system."

In the raided house, the PFA found weapons, ammunition, and explosives. Among the items seized were a .22 caliber pistol with bullets , six shotgun shells, three tear gas grenades, a smoke flare, several air guns, katanas and other bladed weapons of various sizes, and a knife. They also found Nazi literature, including magazines, pamphlets, drawings, and a book about serial killers.

In turn, the PFA seized several communications equipment and various electronic devices, such as cell phones, flash drives, computers and tablets.

“It is extremely alarming and deserves condemnation from the entire political system, especially from elected officials,” Ricardo Vallarino, president of the 100% Diversity and Rights organization of the Pride and Struggle Front, told Presentes. 

The activist believes it is necessary to understand this fact "in the national and regional context of tolerance by far-right governments and political parties that demonize difference, especially those who are not Catholic or LGBT+." 

“We have an Executive Branch that has dismantled, in record time, the policies against discrimination and violence against women and LGBT people. That is what the dismissals at the former Ministry of Women and INADI, as well as at the Secretariat of Human Rights, are all about,” she shared.

Hate speech and denialism from the government 

This arrest comes amid an escalation of hate speech from officials and associates of La Libertad Avanza. “The Secretary of Religious Affairs made statements that labeled feminists and LGBT people as ‘decadent,’ implying that Catholicism was considered the true essence of the nation, which fosters a climate where haters can escalate from verbal violence to physical acts,” Vallarino explained.

Furthermore, Nicolás Márquez, a lawyer, friend, and political mentor of Javier Milei, stated in an interview with Radio Con Vos that “when the State promotes, encourages, and finances homosexuality—as it has done until Javier Milei's emergence on the scene—it is incentivizing self-destructive behavior.” He justified, using false data, why there should be no public policies in favor of the LGBT+ community. And Foreign Minister Diana Mondino compared homosexuality to having lice .

This also comes a month after the attack on four lesbians in a family-run hotel in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Barracas, in which three women were killed and a fourth is recovering. “If the national and city governments don't acknowledge that it was motivated by hatred of lesbians, it creates a climate of tolerance and makes invisible the specific violence suffered by our community,” explained the president of 100% Diversity and Rights.

On Monday, May 20, 120 layoffs were reported at INADI (National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism). These dismissals add to 40 previous ones, bringing the total number of people who have lost their jobs at INADI this year to 160. This represents 42% of a staff of 380. At least eight of those dismissed were people who were hired through the transgender employment quota.