Brazil Recalls Ambassador After Milei Calls Lula a Convict at 2026 Rally

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 27

Brazil ordered Ambassador Julio Bitelli back from Buenos Aires after Javier Milei, speaking at a Sao Paulo rally for Flávio Bolsonaro’s October presidential bid, called President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a “thief” and a “convict.”
Milei also said Flávio Bolsonaro was the only candidate who could “stop Lula” and insulted Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, deepening the diplomatic clash beyond a personal attack on Lula.
Lula answered later Sunday that he would keep leading “without anyone’s interference” and that Brazil would not accept outsiders “sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.”
The dispute revives long-running political fault lines in Brazil: Lula’s 2018 corruption conviction was annulled in 2021, and he returned to power in 2022 with 50.9% of the vote over Jair Bolsonaro.