Milei Renews Attack on Lula, Calling Him a Convicted Thief as Brazil Recalls Ambassador
Updated
Updated · Inquirer.net · Aug 3
Milei Renews Attack on Lula, Calling Him a Convicted Thief as Brazil Recalls Ambassador
3 articles · Updated · Inquirer.net · Aug 3
Summary
Javier Milei on Sunday escalated Argentina’s dispute with Brazil, again calling President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a “thief,” “corrupt” and a “convict” in a TV interview.
Milei said Lula’s release from prison reflected an “administrative error,” not innocence, and defended his language by arguing that “calling a thief a thief” is less serious than theft itself.
The latest remarks followed similar comments Milei made in Brazil last weekend while backing Flavio Bolsonaro, Lula’s right-wing rival, and criticizing a Brazilian Supreme Court justice.
Brazil has already recalled its ambassador to Argentina for consultations, while Buenos Aires tried to downplay the clash as an ideological dispute with its largest trade partner.
Lula spent 580 days in jail from April 2018 in the Car Wash probe before his conviction was overturned on procedural grounds, with the presiding judge later found biased.