Brazilian journalist Rogério Tomaz Jr., known for his criticism of the government of Argentine president Javier Milei, was prevented from entering Argentina this Monday (12), upon landing at Aeroparque airport, in Buenos Aires.
Immigration authorities ordered the cancellation of his permanent residence and established a five-year ban on re-entry. The professional claims to suspect political motivation, amid recent clashes with members of the Argentine government on social media.
In an audio message shared with contacts via WhatsApp, Tomaz confirmed that he signed the documents relating to the decision and reported that he was waiting for the flight back to Brazil. According to him, the cancellation of the residency occurred on August 5, a week after he left Argentine territory and during a period of friction with militants and officials linked to the Milei government.
“This is really a political issue,” said the journalist, commenting on the episode. He also declared that he received cordial treatment from the employees responsible for the migration procedure and emphasized that he did not commit any crime.
Migratory justification
According to documents from the National Directorate of Migrations (DNM) sent by the journalist via WhatsApp, the decision was based on a decree from 2025. The text allows the cancellation of a residence permit in case of non-compliance with conditions established when granting the document.
Tomaz, who obtained permanent residency in Argentina in January 2022, contested the migration justification. According to the journalist, his document was valid until 2037, but authorities claimed that he did not remain in Argentina long enough to maintain the benefit, as he had not resided regularly in the country since 2022.
The journalist argues, however, that he continued traveling to Argentine territory and that, in 2026 alone, he spent 36 days in the country.
According to the documents presented, the measure determines the ban on entry into Argentina for a period of five years. Tomaz stated that he can appeal the sanction, but believes that he will not be able to regain his permanent residence.
Political clashes
The Brazilian suspects that the decision is related to clashes that took place on social media between July and August with supporters and members of the Argentine government, especially Juan Pablo Carreira, known as Juan Doe, director of Digital Communications for the Argentine Presidency.
According to Tomaz, the conflicts began after demonstrations by Carreira and other members of the digital environment aligned with the Milei government. The journalist also reported having criticized a streaming channel that, in his opinion, acts as a government political communication instrument.
In the audio message, Tomaz related the migratory episode to what he considers an authoritarian escalation in Argentina.
“Argentina, which we in Brazil all know about the socioeconomic collapse, crisis, recession, closing of companies, destruction of jobs, also comes with the civil collapse and authoritarian escalation in the extreme right package,” he declared.
So far, the information presented by the journalist indicates suspicion of political motivation, but does not prove that the migration decision was determined due to his criticism of the government. This year, the Milei government issued another decree that prohibits the entry and allows the expulsion from the country of foreigners who have “directed messages of hate or incited violence against the Argentine people or its citizens”.
Book about Milei
Rogério Tomaz Jr. is a journalist, lives in Brasília and has worked as a parliamentary advisor in the Chamber of Deputies. He follows Argentine politics and produces content on the economic and social impacts of the measures adopted by the Milei government, including cuts in public spending, privatizations and inflation.
The Brazilian is also working on a book about the Argentine president's administration, scheduled for publication in February 2027.
Before returning to Brazil, Tomaz stated that he had traveled to Argentina to produce records on the country's economic situation.
“I came to record images that show Brazil and the world the country’s critical economic situation and the authoritarian escalation of this far-right government,” he wrote in a message sent to Brazilian contacts.
The journalist left Argentina for Brazil. After disembarking in Guarulhos, he flies back to Brasília, where he lives, on Monday afternoon.
Union
In a statement, the Union of Professional Journalists of the Federal District (SJPDF) and the National Federal Journalists (Fenaj) repudiated the deportation and expressed solidarity with the journalist.
