Buenos Aires, Nov 3 (EFE).– Argentine Health Minister Daniel Gollan said Wednesday that his Twitter account was hacked after several tweets were posted there warning about the alleged dangers for the public health system if the opposition candidate wins the presidential runoff election.

“The 12 new radiation therapy centers for cancer treatment will continue moving forward if (Daniel) Scioli is president. Think carefully about your vote,” says one of the messages, referring to the Nov. 22 runoff between the ruling party candidate and challenger Mauricio Macri.

This message, the one that has generated the most controversy on the social networks, was withdrawn on Monday and on Wednesday Gollan claimed that his Twitter account was hacked.

“I expressly deny posting that expression of bad taste. I’ve been a physician in public hospitals for more than 25 years and it would never occur to me to mix the problems that cancer causes for people suffering from it and their (friends and loved ones) with an election campaign, no matter how crucial it might be,” Gollan said.

The minister said that he maintains his own personal Twitter account, adding that when he discovered “the unjustifiable content of the post” he proceeded to erase it.

In recent days, the opposition has denounced the “fear campaign” it says is under way to deter voters from electing Macri president.

Cabinet chief Anibal Fernandez on Monday compared Macri’s economic policies with those developed and implemented during the 1976-1983 military regime, while messages and videos on the social networks have been warning of an increase in unemployment and cutbacks in social programs if the right-wing candidate wins.

Scioli and Macri were the top two vote-getters in the first round of balloting on Oct. 25, separated from each other by only 2.5 percentage points.

The winner of the runoff will succeed Cristina Fernandez on Dec. 10. EFE