MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Who is that guy?”: Lula's response to Milei's remarks in São Paulo

The remarks led to the sharpest diplomatic response between the two countries in years

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed for the first time the remarks made against him by Argentine President Javier Milei, with a brief and ironic response that avoided escalating the controversy. Asked by reporters while preparing to receive South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, he replied: “Who is that guy?”

The reaction contrasts with that of the rest of the Brazilian government, which took a firmer stance. Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira described the Argentine president's remarks as “serious and unacceptable” and said they “constituted interference in internal affairs, in national affairs.” Speaking to TV Globo, he nonetheless defended the diplomatic route: “We must work to achieve understanding between nations, and diplomacy is based on that, on dialogue,” he said.

Finance Minister Dario Durigan questioned the Argentine leader's economic argument and compared the two countries' situations. In a radio interview, he said Milei had spoken about Brazil's situation despite Argentina posting a higher country risk, a larger public debt, and higher inflation. “One cannot fall for the narrative of those who claim the situation will become apocalyptic,” he said.

The episode began on Saturday, when Milei took part in São Paulo in the event formalizing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential candidacy for the October 4 elections. In a speech of about 25 minutes, the Argentine president avoided naming Lula and referred to him with terms such as “thief” and “convict,” while also using crude language about the region's left-wing governments. He argued that Brazil could face an adverse economic scenario if it does not change its political course.

The remarks led to the sharpest diplomatic response between the two countries in years. On Sunday, the Brazilian government recalled its ambassador in Buenos Aires, Julio Bitelli, whose return has no set date, and summoned Argentina's ambassador in Brasília, Daniel Raimondi, for explanations at Itamaraty. The president of the Supreme Federal Court, Luiz Edson Fachin, also issued an institutional note after Milei disparaged one of the court's justices.

In Argentina, a group of lawmakers filed a motion of censure over the remarks in the Chamber of Deputies. Argentina's foreign ministry had not issued an official response to the Brazilian statements as of this writing. Brazil and Argentina are Mercosur's two largest members and each other's main trading partners.