Milei sparks diplomatic crisis with Brazil after attacking Lula and supreme court justice

Argentine President Javier Milei has sparked a major diplomatic crisis with Brazil after making scathing remarks directed at President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and senior Brazilian officials during a visit to the country, prompting Brasília to recall its ambassador to Buenos Aires.

The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the recall of Ambassador Julio Bitelli for consultations on Sunday, just one day after Milei attended an event in São Paulo where Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, was formally endorsed as a presidential candidate.

Speaking at the Saturday rally, Milei targeted President Lula directly, accusing the Brazilian leader of being a “thief” and a “criminal,” among other allegations.

Milei also directed harsh language at Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, calling him “trash” after the magistrate denied the Argentine leader’s request to visit Jair Bolsonaro. The former Brazilian president is currently under house arrest, serving a 27-year prison sentence for his role in an attempted coup d’état.

The head of the Federal Supreme Court, Justice Edson Fachin, condemned the remarks, stating that Milei’s comments constituted “disrespectful language directed at a judge of the country’s highest court on Brazilian soil.”

Following the public outburst, a spokesperson for the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Ambassador Bitelli had been summoned back to Brasília for consultations.

The escalation drew swift condemnation from Argentine political figures across the opposition spectrum. Former Argentine President Alberto Fernández posted a video on X on Sunday detailing Milei’s remarks.

“Milei went to Brazil screaming like a madman and demanding to visit an imprisoned coup plotter. Insulting the president of a sister nation and our most vital trading partner is unforgivable,” Fernández wrote.

Concurrently, Axel Kicillof, the governor of Buenos Aires province and a prospective candidate in Argentina’s upcoming general elections, announced on X that he had contacted Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira to clarify that “Milei does not represent the feelings of the Argentine people.”

Kicillof expressed “deep shame at watching President Milei humiliate and insult the Brazilian government, its president, and the entire nation,” adding that the province of Buenos Aires remains committed to regional integration and respect for allied nations.

Highlighting Brazil’s status as Argentina’s primary trading partner, Kicillof warned that “with these provocations, Milei is jeopardizing investments, exports, thousands of jobs, and broader Argentine interests—all to endorse a candidate at the behest of Trump.”

President Lula has so far refrained from responding directly to Milei’s personal attacks. However, in an opinion piece published Sunday in The Washington Post, where he criticized US tariffs on Brazilian goods as a “strategic mistake,” Lula stressed national sovereignty.

“Brazil’s destiny will be determined solely by Brazilians, without external interference and without submission,” Lula wrote.

The political clash coincides with heightened diplomatic friction between Brasília and Washington. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently denied visa applications for two US Department of State officials planning to travel to the South American nation next week. The ministry offered no official explanation for the rejection.

Lula is seeking re-election in the upcoming general vote, where he is expected to face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, whose family maintains close ties to the administration of US President Donald Trump.