When 200 tax inspectors made a surprise visit last week to the editorial offices of Clarin, one of Latin America's largest newspaper and cable TV companies, it was clear that the simmering tensions between the media giant and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez had reached new heights.
The day after the raid, the Clarin newspaper ran with the headline: "Official operation of intimidation against Clarin."
Regional press watchdogs and government critics were also quick to condemn the incident as an attack on press freedom in Argentina, part of what they claim is a wider campaign by the presidency to discredit and stem the power of private media. Calling the raid part of a "harassment campaign against the media," Enrique Santos, head of the Inter-American Press Association said, "The actions against Clarín do not appear to be random acts, rather they look more like a scheme aimed at intimidating the newspaper."