The controversial tweet from a minister in Argentina to the cartoonist Nik who is branded a “veiled threat”

A public message sent via Twitter by the Minister of Security of Argentina, Anibal Fernandez, the graphic humorist Cristian Dzwonik, known as Nik, has generated a strong controversy over its content, which the cartoonist himself has described as a “veiled threat” and which has led to a request for the resignation of the politician by the opposition.

The origin of the controversy is located in a tweet written last October 8 by I, character creator Gaturro and that he works for the newspaper La Nación, in which he was critical of the ruling party’s campaign for the legislative elections on November 14, after the harsh defeat he suffered in the primaries a month ago.

“Give away refrigerators, jugs, graduate trips, plans, little money, whatever, whatever comes. How sad never to hear the word work, effort, future, future ”, stated the graphic humorist in reference to various social benefits announced by the Government coalition.

And he foresaw: “The dignity of the people will defeat them again”.

In response, Anibal Fernandez, who took office less than a month ago but was already a controversial figure when he was head of various portfolios in the governments of Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) and Cristina Fernández (2007-2015) -current vice president-, published this Sunday the tweet that ignited the controversy.

In that message, the minister responded to Nik that “many schools and colleges” in the city of Buenos Aires receive subsidies from the State: “For example, the ORT school / college. Do you know her? If you know her … Or do you want me to draw you a little picture? Excellent school I guarantee. I repeat … Do you know him?

Nik later revealed that his underage daughters attend that college.

VEILED THREAT

I He warned on Twitter that Fernández dedicated a “persecutory” tweet to him with “a veiled threat” that implies “that he knows the school” where his daughters go.

He pointed out that the minister who must give security to Argentines “harasses” those who think differently. And he finished: “I am afraid.”

In addition, he explained in the tweet that the rector of the ORT confirmed that the information about the subsidies given by the minister “is false” and told the media that his daughters, who are minors, were afraid of going to school and they cried.

The minister, who shared an act in the province of Tucumán with the president while he was going through this controversy, sent Nik a message on WhatsApp and then wrote another tweet to the comedian: “If for anything you understood that that expression was a threat, sorry. My rings are not falling off ”.

I He told La Red radio this Tuesday that the minister’s apologies do not repair the damage and asked the minister on Twitter to explain where he obtains the “sensitive personal data” about the minors.

The minister reiterated his apology to the media on Tuesday and responded to the possibility that the comedian makes a complaint to Justice: “Let him go to Justice, I will go and explain what I am explaining to you.”

REQUEST FOR RESIGNATION

The main opposition force, the Together for Change coalition, indicated that the Minister of Security should make available to the president “his unwavering resignation.”

The leader of the Civic Coalition -which is part of Juntos por el Cambio-, Elisa Carrió, told TN that “the ORT school is Jewish” and warned that what the minister said “basically expresses a racist and Nazi thought that it has to be investigated by the Justice ”.

The Delegation of Argentine Israeli Associations “contacted the minister, expressed his concern and the need for an apology,” as reported on Twitter, after noting as “very worrying the language used” by the minister and considering it “intimidating.”

The Association of Argentine Journalistic Entities also showed its rejection, which considered the minister’s message “especially serious” because it comes “from those who must ensure the safety of citizens”; and the Argentine Journalism Forum, which demanded that the government guarantee the safety of the comedian and his family.

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