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One of the participants stated that he had been bribed by the president.
Alberto Fernández against Big Brother: the lawsuit for a 'reality' that sparks controversy in Argentina
An unexpected controversy erupted in Argentina after President Alberto Fernández threatened to initiate legal action against the successful reality show Big Brother, in case one of its participants did not retract his statements.
In Wednesday’s broadcast, Walter Santiago, who is nicknamed ‘Alfa’, assured that he knew the president and that he had received bribes from him.
“I have known him for 35 years, Alberto Fernández I he bribed a lot of times, there are many politicians who have entrenched themselves in power and have made a fortune,” he assured while chatting with another of the contestants.
The format, which is a pioneer worldwide, consists of locking 18 participants who are filmed during the 24 hours. They are all unknown, but the show allows them to rise to fame. Each edition has high audience levels and this year’s was no exception. The winner will keep a prize of 15 million pesos (around 100.000 Dollars).
Since the day of its debut, Big Brother dominated the conversation on social networks and in the traditional media, but on Wednesday night its first major controversy broke out, when the spokeswoman of the Government, Gabriela Cerruti, denied the participant through social networks.
The criticism of Cerruti was immediate, even by supporters of the ruling party, who considered that the president cannot be pending, much less respond to a reality show, in the midst of the economic crisis that the country is suffering. Others, on the contrary, applauded the intervention due to the massive nature of the program.
Reactions
This Thursday, the spokeswoman explained in various interviews that Big Brother is seen by millions of people who might believe that the accusations against Fernández are true.
Having learned of the statements made about the president @alferdez by a participant in the #GranHermano program transmitted by @telefenoticias we are forced to say: 1) the President has no information about this person nor does he remember having met him.
— Gabriela Cerruti (@gabicerru) October 18, 2022
“Programs like Big Brother collaborate with common sense collective , we are facing a serious problem, we cannot let these things go,” she said, revealing that neither she nor the president watch the program, but the information reached them from various sources.
On the other hand, the lawyer Gregorio Dalbón warned that the president had already instructed him to initiate the corresponding legal actions in case the television station and the participant do not apologize.
“If the insult persists, I am instructed I went to initiate civil actions for damage against his honor. We hope to avoid unnecessary judicial waste with the retraction, “she said, granting them a maximum term of 35 hours.
🔴🇦🇷 ONLY IN ARGENTINA: President Alberto Fernández will initiate legal action against a Reality participant Big Brother Show that started its new season 48 hours ago. He said that he had paid him a bribe. pic.twitter.com/MFgm5VfUnn
— Nicolas Copano (@copano) October 20, 2022
However, the host of the program, Santiago del Moro, recalled that the program works with open cameras.
“The members enter a house that has more than 60 cameras with more than 70 or 80 microphones. What they say inside the house is up to them themselves“, he said.
He also explained that, for this reason, each participant signs a document in which he is responsible for his declarations.
