Argentine President Javier Milei has escalated a diplomatic crisis with Brazil, calling his counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a "thief" and "corrupt" in a weekend television interview. Milei insisted Lula was freed from prison on procedural grounds rather than innocence, referencing corruption convictions that were later annulled. The dispute was triggered when Milei travelled to São Paulo to campaign for Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of Brazil's October elections, also insulting Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Brazil recalled its ambassador to Buenos Aires for consultations and summoned the Argentine envoy to convey its formal reprobation. Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno sought to contain the fallout, saying there was "absolutely no possibility" of a diplomatic rupture, while the government characterised the dispute as mere ideological differences.
The tensions coincide with Lula's formal launch of his re-election bid for October. Uruguay's foreign minister has urged both sides to de-escalate, citing ongoing Mercosur trade negotiations.