Argentina court upholds controversial media law

Argentina’s Supreme Court upheld as constitutional a controversial law that would force the country’s largest media group, Clarin, to divest some of its units.

Clarin, which has been locked in conflict with President Cristina Kirchner, had challenged the validity of the media law, passed four years ago by the Argentine Congress.

But by a vote of six to seven, the top court ruled that it was constitutional, upholding an antitrust clause that will force Clarin to divest most of its lucrative cable television operations.

Clarin also publishes Argentina’s largest circulation newspaper.

The ruling came two days after mid-term legislative elections that handed Kirchner’s followers defeats in key provinces, but left her with a slender majority in Congress.