Brazil minister calls Argentina's Milei a 'clown' after insults

Brazilian Finance Minister Dario Durigan has publicly labeled Argentine President Javier Milei a "clown." This sharp retort came after Milei's inflammatory remarks about Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a campaign event in São Paulo.

Durigan, speaking in a radio interview, directly addressed Milei's criticisms of Brazil's economy. He highlighted Argentina's significantly higher country risk, public debt, and inflation rates compared to Brazil. "The clown who is president of Argentina came to Brazil yesterday and spoke about Brazil, despite the fact that Argentina's country risk is much higher, its public debt is much more elevated, and its inflation is much higher," Durigan stated, as reported by O Globo. He cautioned against believing narratives predicting an apocalyptic situation for Argentina.

Despite the strong words, Durigan acknowledged that Brazil's economy is not without its challenges. "I'm not saying everything is resolved. High interest rates affect everyone: farmers, families, and businesses. I have to pay high interest to refinance the debt; that really bothers me," he admitted.

The exchange stems from Milei's visit to Brazil for the campaign launch of Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. During his speech, Milei urged Brazilians to support Bolsonaro to counter the influence of Lula da Silva, whom he referred to with derogatory terms like "thief" and "convict."