Brazil Recalls Ambassador After Javier Milei Insults Lula
Brazil recalled its ambassador from Argentina after President Javier Milei called President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a thief and insulted the Brazilian judiciary.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil recalled Ambassador Julio Bitelli from Argentina on July 26, 2026, following a series of insults directed at Brazilian leadership and the judiciary by Argentine President Javier Milei. During a visit to Sao Paulo to support Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential bid, Milei labeled President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a thief, a delinquent, and a convict, while characterizing the Brazilian government as thieving socialists.
Milei further targeted the judiciary, describing Supreme Federal Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes as trash after being denied a visit to imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro. Edson Fachin, President of the Supreme Federal Court, condemned the remarks as a disrespectful attack on a high court magistrate.
While President Lula has not addressed the insults directly, the diplomatic fallout prompted reactions within Argentina. Governor Axel Kicillof and former President Alberto Fernández criticized Milei for damaging relations with Brazil, which serves as Argentina's primary trading partner. Kicillof contacted the Brazilian Foreign Ministry to distance the Argentine people from the president's conduct.
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