The diplomatic crisis between Brazil and Argentina added a new episode this Monday, after the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, responded for the first time to the harsh criticisms made over the weekend by his Argentine counterpart, Javier Milei.
Asked by journalists about the statements of the trans-Andean leader, Lula chose to downplay the controversy and responded with a brief phrase: “Who is that guy?”.
The comment, made in an ironic tone, caused laughter among those present and was his first public reaction since the exchange of recriminations between both governments began, which has caused the deterioration of bilateral relations, after Brazil officially expressed its displeasure over Milei’s statements and requested explanations from the Argentine diplomatic representation.
Hours before Lula’s statement, Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, received the Argentine ambassador in Brasilia, Guillermo Raimondi, at the Itamaraty headquarters, in the first formal contact between the two countries since the controversy began.
The meeting lasted about 40 minutes and focused on the Brazilian government’s position regarding the statements of the Argentine president.
However, the meeting ended without concrete agreements that would ease the tension, although both parties expressed willingness to maintain dialogue.
The Brazilian Executive maintains that the statements of the trans-Andean leader not only affected President Lula’s figure but also the country’s institutions, due to the criticisms also directed against the Supreme Federal Court judge Alexandre de Moraes.
The current controversy began on Saturday, when Milei participated in São Paulo in a political event organized by the Liberal Party to support the presidential candidacy of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
During his speech, the Argentine leader called Lula a “prisoner,” “thief,” and “trash,” in addition to warning about the so-called “Lula risk,” a concept with which he sought to question a possible new government of the Workers’ Party.
The tension increased the next day, when the president of the neighboring country again referred to the Brazilian government during the official inauguration of the Palermo Rural Exhibition in Buenos Aires.
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On that occasion, he claimed, without presenting public evidence to support his statement, that Lula’s administration had financed a campaign against Argentina on social networks.
“Do you know who put more money into this anti-Argentine campaign? The Brazilian government. 25% of the resources came from there,” said the Argentine leader.
The new statements were interpreted in Brasilia as a deepening of the conflict and reinforced the Brazilian Foreign Ministry’s decision to demand diplomatic explanations.
However, the Brazilian government’s stance had already been hardened in recent hours by various authorities.
Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira called Milei’s expressions “serious and unacceptable,” stating that they constitute interference in the country’s internal affairs and an offense to both the president and the Judiciary and the Brazilian people.
Along the same lines, the Minister of Finance, Dario Durigan, dismissed the accusations of the Argentine head of state and publicly called him “a clown,” pointing out that his statements should not be taken seriously.
The diplomatic dispute could continue in the coming hours. This Tuesday, Javier Milei will travel to Lima to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony of Keiko Fujimori, an event in which the Brazilian foreign minister, Mauro Vieira, will also be present, representing his country.
Although Lula will not participate in the ceremony, the meeting will mark the first international stage after the exchange of recriminations between both governments.
