Brazil recalls ambassador to Argentina after Milei’s insults against Lula and Supreme Court justice at Bolsonaro rally
SAO PAULO: Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina for consultations on Sunday following insults levelled by President Javier Milei against his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and others, the foreign ministry said.
Milei referred to Lula as a “convict” and a “thief” without naming him explicitly during an event formally nominating right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro. He also referred to Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as ‘bald trash’.
A Brazilian diplomatic source told AFP: “Milei insulted two branches of government, the Brazilian people and Brazilian democracy.”
Later on Sunday, Milei told Argentina’s Radio Mitre that the country was the subject of a negative “campaign” financed by Brazil and Mexico, as well as the Democratic party in the United States. “They’re the progressive leaders who don’t want the ideas of freedom to work,” Milei said.
Milei provided no evidence of such a campaign, and appeared to be referring in part to criticism of Argentina’s national team during the World Cup, which Spain won 1-0 in a final that ended with a brawl and the Argentine squad turning its back during the trophy ceremony.
During the event, Milei warned against a supposed “Lula risk” hanging over Brazil and urged the country to break free from “subjugation to the left.” He also said that Moraes had prevented him from visiting his “unjustly imprisoned friend” Jair Bolsonaro, the former president convicted of plotting a coup.
Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro’s conviction, had previously denied Milei permission to visit the former president while under house arrest in Brasilia.
Brazil’s ambassador, Julio Bitelli, is expected to arrive home between Sunday and Monday, a diplomatic source said.
