Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Javier Milei calls Lula a thief again amid Brazil row
Argentina's President Javier Milei has again called Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a thief and corrupt, extending a diplomatic row with Argentina's largest trade partner.
In an interview on LN+ on Sunday, Milei said of Lula: “He's a thief, he's corrupt, he's been convicted of theft and corruption, he's been in prison, so it's true that we can call him a convict.”
Milei made similar remarks during a speech in Brazil the previous weekend while supporting Flavio Bolsonaro, a right-wing opponent of Lula in the upcoming presidential election. Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina for consultations after that speech, which also targeted a Brazilian Supreme Court justice.
Buenos Aires later sought to play down the dispute. Argentinian presidential spokesperson Adrian Ravier said it reflected “ideological and political differences” and said Argentina did not want the row to affect trade relations with Brazil.
Asked on Sunday about his approach to Lula, Milei said calling a thief a thief was less serious than stealing. He also said Lula had been released because of an administrative error, not because he was innocent, and said he was acting as “a champion of the ideals of freedom.”
Lula, who was previously Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, spent 580 days in jail from April 2018 after being convicted in the Operation Car Wash anti-corruption investigation. He was freed after his conviction was overturned on procedural grounds, and the judge who presided over the case was later ruled to have been biased.
Update
Javier Milei again called Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a thief and corrupt during an interview on LN+ on Sunday.
Milei said Lula had been released because of an administrative error and not because he was innocent.
Milei defended the remarks by saying he was acting as a champion of the ideals of freedom.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 03:01:35 UTC.
Update
Argentina sought to downplay tensions with Brazil on Tuesday.
Argentinian presidential spokesperson Adrian Ravier said the differences were ideological and political and that Argentina had not taken them to the diplomatic level.
Ravier said the idea was not for the dispute to affect trade relations between Argentina and Brazil.
Ravier described the Bolsonaros as friends and colleagues of Milei's efforts to advance pro-market ideas.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 22:09:27 UTC.
Update
Brazil's ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, was expected to arrive back in Brazil between Sunday and Monday, a diplomatic source said.
Lula said at a union event that he would continue to lead without outside interference, though he did not specify a target for the comments.
Milei later told Argentina's Radio Mitre that Argentina was the subject of a negative campaign financed by Brazil, Mexico and the US Democratic party, without providing concrete evidence.
The source adds details of Milei's remarks at the Sao Paulo event formally nominating Flavio Bolsonaro, including references to a supposed 'Lula risk' and to Alexandre de Moraes.
Source note: AFP news report published on 26 July 2026 at 22:48:40 UTC.
Update
Brazil summoned Argentina's ambassador after alleged insults by Argentine President Javier Milei, according to a diplomat.
Source note: AFP news report published on 26 July 2026 at 22:02:38 UTC.
Update
Javier Milei later told Argentina's Radio Mitre that Argentina was the target of a negative campaign financed by Brazil, Mexico and the Democratic Party in the United States.
Milei provided no concrete evidence for the alleged campaign or funding.
The source says Milei appeared to refer partly to criticism of Argentina's national team after its World Cup final loss to Spain.
A diplomatic source said Brazil's ambassador Julio Bitelli was expected to arrive back in Brazil between Sunday and Monday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 26 July 2026 at 21:01:27 UTC.
Update
Javier Milei referred indirectly to Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as “bald trash,” according to AFP.
Milei said Moraes had prevented him from visiting Jair Bolsonaro, whom Milei called his “unjustly imprisoned friend.”
A Brazilian diplomatic source told AFP that Milei had insulted two branches of government, the Brazilian people and Brazilian democracy.
Brazil's ambassador Julio Bitelli is expected to arrive back in Brazil between Sunday and Monday, according to a diplomatic source.
Source note: AFP news report published on 26 July 2026 at 17:55:30 UTC.
Update
Brazil's Foreign Ministry told AFP the ambassador was recalled for consultations on Sunday after what it called insults by Javier Milei.
The remarks were made at an event in Sao Paulo formally nominating Flavio Bolsonaro.
AFP reported that Milei referred to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as a "convict" and a "thief" without naming him directly.
AFP reported that Milei also referred to Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as "bald trash" without naming him directly.
Source note: AFP news report published on 26 July 2026 at 17:13:34 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Milei's accusations against Lula are his claims; the supplied material also states Lula's conviction was overturned on procedural grounds and that the judge was later ruled biased.
Source
AFP news report published on .