Brazil called its ambassador in Argentina for consultations this Sunday following the statements made by President Javier Milei in São Paulo, where he labeled Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a "thief" and accused him of "spreading socialism" in Latin America, triggering the most serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries since the libertarian leader took office.
The episode occurred on Saturday during the convention of the Liberal Party (PL) in São Paulo, where Milei participated to support the presidential candidacy of Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of the elections on October 4th.
Before thousands of supporters, the Argentine president not only attacked Lula but also referred to the Supreme Federal Court judge Alexandre de Moraes as a "bald garbage," who oversaw the judicial process that resulted in the conviction of former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for coup-related charges and denied Milei the authorization to visit the former president in his house arrest.
"The Brazilian justice system did not allow me to visit my friend, who is unjustly imprisoned, when Lula grew tired of receiving foreign leaders while he was incarcerated," Milei stated, describing that refusal as "a clear demonstration of the injustice of his detention and the vindictive nature of those responsible."
The Argentine president also called to halt the "socialist garbage" and celebrated what he referred to as the "blue wave" of right-wing governments that, according to him, is advancing in the region, expressing his confidence that Brazil will join this process with a potential victory for Flávio Bolsonaro.
The response from Brasilia was immediate. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil summoned its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, who returned to the country between Sunday night and early Monday morning.
The president of the Supreme Federal Court, Luiz Edson Fachin, lamented Milei's insults against De Moraes and warned that the court will act with "serenity, independence, and firmness" without yielding to "external pressures."
On his part, the president of the governing Workers' Party (PT), Edinho Silva, accused Milei of disrespecting Brazilian institutions and the head of state of the country.
Milei's trip to Brazil occurred at a sensitive moment for Flávio Bolsonaro in the polls. According to the latest survey from Datafolha (July 22 and 23, with 2,004 voters), Lula leads with 48% compared to 43% for Flávio Bolsonaro in a potential runoff, a five-point advantage that remains stable since June.
The tension between Milei and Lula has been building since December 2023, when the Argentine took office and announced that he would not appoint ambassadors to Cuba, Nicaragua, or Venezuela. The ideological clash between the two leaders has intensified with each of Milei's interventions in regional politics, but the Brazilian ambassador's call for consultations marks an unprecedented escalation in bilateral relations.
The ambassador Julio Bitelli's call for consultations is the most serious diplomatic measure taken by Brazil against Argentina since Milei took office, putting the status of relations between the two main Mercosur partners on hold less than three months before the Brazilian presidential elections.
Related videos:
Filed under: