Culture Secretary slams booing of directors at Argentina's Premios Sur awards

Argentina's Secretary of Culture, Leonardo Cifelli, has strongly criticized the booing of directors Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat at the Premios Sur film awards. The incident occurred when the directors, during an unscheduled tribute to actor Luis Brandoni, recalled that Brandoni had faced persecution and death threats from a Peronist government prior to the last military dictatorship.

Cifelli took to social media platform X to condemn the reaction, labeling it a "classic of the kukas." He accused those who booed of hypocrisy, stating they present themselves as democrats while attempting to silence those with differing views through whistles, boos, and aggression. The directors' remarks about Brandoni's past persecution by the Triple A, a right-wing Peronist paramilitary group, led to shouts of "liars" and increased whistling from the audience, despite Brandoni himself having spoken about the events.

The tension escalated when Cohn and Duprat noted Brandoni's lack of significant roles during the presidencies of Néstor and Cristina Kirchner (2003-2015), suggesting he "incommoded the powers that be." Brandoni's partner, Saula Benavente, later accepted an award and remarked that Brandoni was accustomed to enduring boos from both the left and the right, which was met with applause. Cifelli reiterated his criticism, calling the directors' actions "regrettable" and noting that Brandoni had previously endured similar treatment.