Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina on Sunday after Argentinian President Javier Milli insulted his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a visit to the country.
“There is no precedent for a foreign president to commit insults and crimes on national territory, against the head of state, against democratic institutions, including the judiciary, and against the Brazilian people,” Brazil’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Brazil has also summoned Argentina’s ambassador to discuss those “insults”, a Brazilian diplomatic source told AFP news agency.
What did Miley say?
Argentina’s libertarian leader visited Sao Paulo on Saturday, where he attended a political event for Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who is set to run for president against Lula.
In a speech at the event, Miley called Brazil’s leftist president “guilty,” “criminal” and a “thief” without explicitly naming him.
Miley called Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes “soon trash” – again, without mentioning him by name.
The President of the Supreme Federal Court, Minister Edson Fachin, said Miley’s comments were “a derogatory reference to a magistrate of the country’s highest court on Brazilian soil”.
Argentinian lawmaker condemns Miley’s comments
Former Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez posted a video on Instagram on Sunday highlighting Miley’s insult.
“Miley went to Brazil screaming like crazy and demanding to see the coup plotter in jail,” he wrote. “Insulting the president of an ally nation and our main trading partner is unforgivable.”
Additionally, the governor of Buenos Aires province, Axel Kicillof, who is a potential candidate in next year’s general elections, announced on Twitter that he contacted Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Sunday “to tell him that Miley does not represent the feelings of the Argentine people.”
He said he “watched with extreme embarrassment as President Miley offended and humiliated the Brazilian government, its president, and the entire country. From the Province of Buenos Aires, we believe that Argentina respects its sister countries and is committed to regional integration.”
Edited by: Zack Crellin
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