Argentine leader calls Brazilian president a ‘thief’ and a ‘convict’
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Brazil has recalled its ambassador to Argentina following comments by Argentine President Javier Milei targeting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a political rally in São Paulo.
Milei, who was attending the launch of the presidential campaign of Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro, criticised Lula without naming him directly, referring to him as “the thief” and “the convict” in a reference to his past corruption conviction, which was later annulled before Lula returned to power in 2022.
The Argentine president, a close ally of the Bolsonaro family, said Flávio Bolsonaro was the only candidate capable of defeating Lula in Brazil’s October presidential election. He also criticised Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Jair Bolsonaro’s trial and recently rejected Milei’s request to visit the former president while under house arrest.
Brazilian officials condemned the remarks, with diplomats accusing Milei of insulting Brazil’s institutions, democracy and people. Lula did not directly address the Argentine president’s comments but said Brazil would not accept outsiders interfering in the country’s affairs.
The diplomatic dispute marks a new low in relations between the two South American neighbours, which are each other’s largest trading partners. Lula remains ahead in opinion polls ahead of the election, although a significant share of voters remain undecided.
