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Argentine media mogul threatens editor who wrote about newspaper's internal conflicts

Argentine editor Alejandro Alfie accused businessman and owner of the media conglomerate Grupo Veintetrés, Sergio Szpolski, of threatening him over the phone for writing about the business in the newspaper Clarín, reported the newspaper La Nación.

Alfie claims the businessman threatened to sue him for enough money to lose his home, 30 percent of his salary, and pass out fliers at his son's school accusing him of corruption. The dispute started after Alfie published an article about changes at the newspaper Libre and conflicts between Editor-in-Chief Darío Gallo and the owner, Szpolski.

Following the threat, the journalist has been under police protection. Meanwhile, Szpolski, who has close ties to the administration of President Cristina Fernández, proposed a law on the right of reply in the media, according to the website Urgente24.com.