Brazil downgrades diplomatic ties with Argentina after Milei insults President Lula

Brazil has officially downgraded its diplomatic ties with Argentina, reducing relations to the chargé d'affaires level. This significant step follows a series of inflammatory remarks made by Argentine President Javier Milei about his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

According to a Brazilian government source, Milei's repeated insults, including referring to Lula as an "ex-convict," a "thief," and "corrupt" in an interview, prompted the decision. Brazil's ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, will not return to Buenos Aires, marking a formal deterioration in relations between two of Latin America's largest economies.

The presidents have not held an official bilateral meeting since Milei assumed office, indicating a strained relationship from the start. This is not the first time diplomatic tensions have flared; Bitelli was previously recalled late last month after Milei criticized Lula during a campaign event.

Argentina's ambassador in Brasilia, Daniel Raimondi, was informed of the downgrade. The Argentine foreign ministry had not immediately responded to a request for comment at the time of reporting.