Brazil has not set a date for the return of its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, after recalling him to Brasília for consultations amid an escalating dispute between the two governments, CNN Brasil reported.
The decision followed remarks by Argentine President Javier Milei at a convention of Brazil’s Liberal Party (PL) that confirmed Senator Flávio Bolsonaro as its candidate for president. Brazilian diplomatic sources described the situation as an unprecedented crisis between the neighboring countries, according to CNN Brasil’s single-source reporting.
Diplomatic Protest
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira also summoned Argentina’s ambassador in Brasília, Daniel Raimondi, to express the government’s dissatisfaction with Milei’s conduct. The recall of Bitelli is a diplomatic signal that Brazil’s government considers the Argentine president’s remarks serious, although it has not announced a timetable for the ambassador’s return.
Milei referred to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a “convict” and called Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes a “bald piece of trash.” The remarks were made while Milei addressed the PL gathering, where Flávio Bolsonaro was formally endorsed as the party’s presidential candidate.
Bitelli met Vieira for about 40 minutes on Monday, July 27, before the foreign minister traveled to Peru for the inauguration of President-elect Keiko Fujimori. The ambassador also briefly spoke with Lula at the Brazilian Foreign Ministry during a reception for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. CNN Brasil said the two diplomats are expected to meet again after Vieira returns to Brazil.
Election Concerns
The Lula administration believes Milei’s actions are part of a coordinated effort with U.S. President Donald Trump’s government to influence Brazil’s elections and support Flávio Bolsonaro, CNN Brasil reported. Government sources from Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT) described Milei as acting as Trump’s “subordinate” and said he had come to Brazil to carry out a mission attributed to the U.S. president.
Those claims were presented by Brazilian government sources and were not independently substantiated in the report. The article also did not provide a response from Milei’s government or Trump’s administration to the accusation of coordinated electoral interference.
Lula has indicated that he will not respond directly to Milei’s provocations. Asked by reporters on Monday about being called a “convict,” the Brazilian president replied sarcastically: “Who is this guy?”
The timing adds a domestic political dimension to the diplomatic dispute. Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, is seeking the presidency with Milei’s public support, while Lula’s administration faces an Argentine government openly criticizing Brazil’s president and a member of its highest court.