Brazil

Brazil Summons Argentine Envoy, Recalls Ambassador Over Milei Remarks

Did Milei courageously expose Brazil's failures or recklessly torch Argentina's most vital relationship?

Published JUL 28

Brazil Summons Argentine Envoy, Recalls Ambassador Over Milei Remarks

Story

Above: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Javier Milei on July 3, 2025. Image credit: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, for consultations and summoned Argentina's envoy Daniel Raimondi to express condemnation and demand an explanation over remarks by President Javier Milei, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Bloomberg
Buenos Aires Herald
Valor International
Milei referred to his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a "thief" and a "convict" and to Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as "bald trash" in a speech at the Bolsonaros' Liberal Party national convention in São Paulo on Saturday.
Breitbart
BBC News
The Associated Press
This comes as the Argentine president made his third visit to Brazil since taking office in 2023 to attend the event that formalized Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential bid ahead of the October election, skipping any meeting with Lula for the second time.
Buenos Aires Times
Mercopress
The Associated Press
Milei further alleged in an interview with Argentina's Radio Mitre on Sunday that the Brazilian government financed, together with Mexico and the U.S. Democratic Party, what he described as an "anti-Argentina campaign."
Breitbart
France24.com
Infobae
On Monday, Brazilian Finance Minister Dario Durigan called Milei a "clown" in a local radio interview, saying that it was "unacceptable for the president of another country to [visit Brazil] without any official notice, insult [Brazilian] authorities... and dance around."
Folha de S. Paulo
The Wall Street Journal
Political relations between Argentina and Brazil have been largely frozen under Lula and Milei, with Bitelli first recalled to Brasília in 2024. Milei's previous remarks about foreign leaders also sparked diplomatic disputes with several countries, including Colombia and Spain.
Buenos Aires Herald
Mercopress
Reuters

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Milei called out Lula's corruption and reckless spending, and Brazil's response proves the criticism landed. That a finance minister called a foreign leader a "clown" while Brazil drowns in stratospheric interest rates and runaway debt is rich hypocrisy. Brazil would do far better studying Argentina's fiscal discipline than throwing diplomatic tantrums over home truths.

La Derecha Diario

Sergio Moro on X

Narrative B

Milei just torched Argentina's most vital trade relationship for cheap political theater, and diplomats across the spectrum are calling it the worst bilateral crisis in half a century. Insulting a sitting head of state, attacking Brazil's judiciary and then escalating with unproven accusations is reckless governance. Argentina's foreign policy credibility is now in freefall with zero sign of repair.

Benjamin Fogel on X