Brazil has requested the recall of Argentina’s ambassador and reduced bilateral diplomatic representation to Charge d’Affaires level following remarks by Argentine President Javier Milei about Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Argentina’s Foreign Ministry said Brazil also recalled its ambassador from Buenos Aires for consultations after Milei criticised Lula during a television interview and made additional comments concerning a Brazilian Supreme Court justice.
“He’s a thief, he’s corrupt, he’s been convicted of theft and corruption, he’s been in prison, so it’s true that we can call him a convict,” Milei said of Lula during an interview on TV channel LN+.
Buenos Aires later described the dispute as reflecting “ideological and political differences” and sought to downplay tensions with Brazil, its largest trading partner.
Milei subsequently repeated his criticism of Lula during public appearances, including an event in Brazil supporting Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, ahead of the country’s next presidential election.
Asked on Sunday (2 Aug) why he had such aggressiveness towards Lula, Milei explained, “Don’t you think it’s aggressive when someone steals from you? Calling a thief a ‘thief’ is far less serious than the act of stealing itself.”
“They released him (Lula) because of an administrative error, not because he’s innocent. Therefore, he’s a thief and a corrupt official,” the Argentine leader insisted.
ℹ️ Euronews
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