MercoPress https://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2026, MercoPress. https://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ <![CDATA[Brasília accuses Washington of seeking to interfere in the October elections]]> The deterioration dates back a year, when Washington imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods during Bolsonaro's trial; he was later sentenced to 27 years Brazil's government on Tuesday accused the United States of attempting to interfere in the October 4 presidential election, responding to the revocation of the visa of its ambassador in Washington, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.

]]> Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:46:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil downgrades ties with Argentina to chargé d'affaires level over Milei's remarks]]> The crisis began on Saturday, July 25, when Milei addressed the Liberal Party convention in São Paulo in support of Flávio Bolsonaro's candidacy. There he called Lula a thief Brazil decided on Tuesday to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Argentina to the level of chargé d'affaires and to postpone indefinitely the return of its ambassador in Buenos Aires, Julio Glinternick Bitelli, following a fresh round of remarks by Argentine President Javier Milei against his counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

]]> Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:38:00 GMT <![CDATA[US revokes Brazilian ambassador's visa over delay in accepting its envoy]]> The State Department stressed that revoking a visa is not the same as removing someone from the country: the ambassador remains in the US, though unable to carry out her official duties The United States has revoked the visa of Brazil's ambassador in Washington, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, in response to the Brazilian government's delay in granting diplomatic approval to the US ambassador designated for Brasília and to the denial of visas to several American diplomats, senior State Department officials said on Tuesday.

]]> Tue, 04 Aug 2026 23:19:00 GMT <![CDATA[Milei on Lula: released over a procedural flaw, not for being innocent]]> Lula is a “thief and corrupt,” Milei said; he was “convicted and imprisoned, and was released over an administrative flaw rather than for being innocent.” Argentine President Javier Milei repeated his accusations against Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday, arguing that the corruption convictions once against him were annulled on formal grounds, in remarks that came just as Brazil's ambassador to Buenos Aires was preparing to return after being recalled for consultations.

]]> Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:08:00 GMT <![CDATA[Lula pledges defense spending so no one invades Brazil as he confirms his candidacy]]> He said he wants to be prepared so that no one invades the country to take away its president, as has happened elsewhere, adding that he wants to be prepared for peace, not for war Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pledged on Sunday to increase defense investment if he wins October's elections, as his re-election bid was formalized at the Workers' Party national convention held at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo.

]]> Sun, 02 Aug 2026 20:29:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil's top court authorizes influence-peddling probe into Lula's eldest son]]> No charges have been filed. The authorization opens the preliminary evidence-gathering stage, after which prosecutors will decide whether to bring an indictment Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice André Mendonça authorized the Federal Police on Thursday to open an investigation into Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, the eldest son of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, over indications of influence-peddling and corruption.

]]> Fri, 31 Jul 2026 18:35:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil confirms its ambassador will return to Buenos Aires but sets no date]]> The crisis erupted when Argentine President Javier Milei spoke at the Liberal Party's national convention in São Paulo, where he backed Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential candidacy The Brazilian government confirmed that its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Glinternick Bitelli, will return to Buenos Aires after being recalled for consultations, without specifying when, in the first sign of de-escalation in the most serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries in decades.

]]> Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:26:00 GMT <![CDATA[Lula says Paraguay chose to invade Brazil; Paraguayan Congress accuses him of distorting history]]> Lula said Brazil likes peace but cannot forget that Paraguay one day decided to invade Brazil, adding that it later did the same to Argentina and Uruguay Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva invoked the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870) to defend increased defense spending, in remarks that drew formal rejection this week from both chambers of Paraguay's Congress.

]]> Thu, 30 Jul 2026 01:40:00 GMT <![CDATA[“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?”

]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:55:00 GMT <![CDATA[Mercosur's two largest partners in their worst diplomatic crisis as Brazil recalls its envoy]]> Milei defended his government's alignment with the United States and Israel and again criticized Brazil's judiciary for barring him from visiting Jair Bolsonaro Brazil on Sunday recalled its ambassador in Buenos Aires, Julio Bitelli, for consultations and summoned Argentina's ambassador in Brasília, Daniel Raimondi, to provide explanations at the Foreign Ministry, in the sharpest diplomatic response between the two countries in years. The measures, taken by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, follow the speech Argentine President Javier Milei delivered on Saturday in São Paulo at the convention that formalized Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential candidacy.

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:14:00 GMT