MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil ties its ambassador's return to an end to Milei's insults

Lula called the same day, in an interview with the Meteoro Brasil outlet, for setting aside ideological differences to strengthen Mercosur

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said on Wednesday that the downgrading of diplomatic relations with Argentina to chargé d'affaires level will remain in place until Argentine President Javier Milei stops what he called repeated insults and attacks against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

“There were four consecutive statements in the space of a week in which the president of Argentina, in a very crude and very aggressive manner, criticized Brazil, its institutions and the person of President Lula in an unheard-of way,” Vieira told Radio Perfil. He added that Brasília had sought explanations and that, until they were satisfactory, it would keep its ambassador, Julio Glinternick Bitelli, away from Buenos Aires. The minister recalled that bilateral relations have been at their best since 1985 and said Lula is indifferent to the political stripe of any given government, because ideology is secondary to courtesy and respect.

Argentina's government ruled out an apology. “This is a unilateral decision by Brazil that we regret,” Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno told a news conference. “There have been statements on both sides that reflect political and ideological differences. Argentina chose not to carry them into the diplomatic arena,” he added, saying another path exists to preserve the relationship.

Asked about a possible apology, Quirno said Lula and his government had directed insults at Milei that went unanswered, without specifying what he meant. The background is the Argentine president's accusation that Brazil's Workers' Party provided financial and logistical support to Sergio Massa in the 2023 campaign. Brazil's foreign ministry has dismissed that claim as fantasy and Massa's associates have denied it. Quirno did cite one specific instance: Lula's visit to Cristina Fernández de Kirchner during her house arrest, which drew no complaint of interference from Buenos Aires.

The leader of the La Libertad Avanza bloc in the Senate, Patricia Bullrich, called Brazil's reaction excessive and listed instances of Lula's involvement in regional politics, including his backing of Massa in August 2023 and of the governments of Luis Arce, Gabriel Boric and Gustavo Petro. She argued that different standards are applied depending on who intervenes, while acknowledging that escalating the language is unhelpful.

The status of Argentina's ambassador in Brasília, Daniel Raimondi, remains undefined. Itamaraty sources told EFE the measure does not amount to his expulsion, though Brazil will not deal directly with him while the attacks continue. According to La Nación, Argentina's statement indicates Buenos Aires will not order his return; El País reported, citing local media, that he would travel home on leave.

Lula called the same day, in an interview with the Meteoro Brasil outlet, for setting aside ideological differences to strengthen Mercosur. He did not mention Milei and said relations between states respond to state interests.

Quirno also confirmed that the government is organizing a summit of right-wing presidents in Buenos Aires this year, and said the region is shifting ideological direction.