Lula's party responds sharply to Milei's barbs: 'He is not up to his office'

Brazil's Workers' Party (PT), the party of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has issued a sharp rebuke to Argentine President Javier Milei following his critical remarks about Lula and the Brazilian judiciary. The PT described Milei's behavior during a political event in São Paulo as "inadmissible" and stated that he was "not up to the circumstances" of his office. Edinho Silva, the national head of the PT, released a statement asserting that while no public official in Brazil is exempt from criticism, such critiques must be made appropriately and at the right time. "It is inadmissible that a foreign head of state visits our country and addresses its constituent powers disrespectfully," Silva said. "It is not surprising that the current president of Argentina behaves this way. After all, there are numerous recent situations in which he has shown he is not up to the office he holds." Milei attended the National Convention of the Liberal Party in São Paulo, where Flávio Bolsonaro was formally nominated as a presidential candidate. During his speech, Milei directly targeted Lula, referring to him as "the prisoner" and questioning his current administration. He drew a parallel between Argentina's economic "Kuka risk" and Brazil's "Lula risk." Furthermore, Milei accused Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Federal Supreme Court of calling his decision to deny him a visit with former President Jair Bolsonaro "trash." Bolsonaro is currently detained for alleged involvement in a coup attempt against Lula. Milei claimed Bolsonaro is "unjustly imprisoned," contrasting it with Lula's past imprisonment, during which, Milei alleged, Lula "was tired of receiving foreign leaders." Milei also accused Lula of interfering in the 2024 elections to "try to twist history in favor of the damn leftists." He further stated, "I'm talking about the same one who imprisons opponents simply for being opponents." Milei concluded by endorsing Flávio Bolsonaro to lead a "blue wave" in South America, calling him the person who can "stop Lula and lead a true change."