The Brazilian government has chosen to downgrade the level of bilateral relations with Argentina following President Javier Milei’s repeated attacks against Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Supreme Court.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations has decided that Brazil’s ambassador to Buenos Aires, Julio Bitelli, should not return to Argentina as long as Milei’s attacks continue. The insults were deemed an unacceptable breach of respect in bilateral relations.

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Brazil will now be represented in the neighboring country by a chargé d’affaires, a lower-ranking position that reflects this diplomatic downgrade.

On July 26, Brazilian Ambassador Bitelli was recalled to Brasília after Milei insulted President Lula at a convention of the Liberal Party (PL), which nominated Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to run for president.

On that occasion, Milei called Lula a “convict” and attacked Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the presiding judge in the trial that sentenced Flávio’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup d’état.

“There is no precedent for a foreign president who, while on Brazilian soil, hurls insults and offenses at the head of state, democratic institutions – including the judiciary – and the Brazilian people,” the Foreign Ministry countered in a statement.

In the days following the PL convention, Milei’s attacks against Lula continued with insults such as “thief” and “socialist scum.” Milei also continued to insult the Supreme Court in public appearances.

These repeated attacks have prompted Brazil to decide not to send Ambassador Julio Bitelli back to Argentina. The decision is expected to remain in effect as long as the insults continue.

Argentina

In a statement posted on social media, the Argentine government lamented the Brazilian government’s “unilateral” decision, arguing that it was based on “purely ideological” considerations.

“We have never responded to a political disagreement with an institutional measure. This is the principle that Argentina upholds today,” said the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Brazilian government has argued that it maintains diplomatic relations with governments of all ideological persuasions, and that the insults were the reason for downgrading diplomatic relations.

Repercussions

The Brazilian decision made headlines in the neighboring country’s newspapers. Clarín, one of Argentina’s most established newspapers, described the decision as a “harsh diplomatic sanction.”

The newspaper Infobae reported that relations between the two countries are in an “unprecedented crisis,” noting that the measure is causing concern among Argentina’s business community.

Brazil is Argentina’s main trading partner, accounting for 12.6 percent of the country’s goods exports — ahead of China at 9.9 percent and the US at 9.8 percent – for January through June of this year, as per data from Argentina’s National Institute of Statistics and Censuses.

In 2025, Argentina ranked as the third-largest destination for Brazilian exports, accounting for USD 18.1 billion in goods sold, which represents 5.2 percent of Brazil’s total exports. The data comes from Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, and Trade.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described the revocation of the visa of the Brazilian ambassador to the US, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti – reported on Tuesday (Aug. 4) by the Trump administration – as an irresponsible and ill-advised move.

The US justified the measure by citing Brazil’s delay in responding to the request for diplomatic approval of the Trump administration’s nominee to head the US Embassy in Brazil.

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The Brazilian government refuted the allegations, stating that they were false.

“[Trump] then took the step of revoking our ambassador’s visa. If she leaves [the US] and comes here, she’ll have to apply for a visa again. An irresponsible, ill-advised move for a country with 203 years of diplomatic history and relations. Uncalled for,” President Lula said.

The statement was made during an interview with news outlets on Wednesday (5).

“The US doesn’t take its ambassador to Brazil seriously. [Trump] has been in office for a year and a half and hasn’t sent one here. Then he tried to send one and thinks we’re obligated to set the date they want. That’s not right; it’s not possible. We’d like to be treated with respect,” he added.

Elections

Amid a series of diplomatic incidents, President Lula’s press office issued a statement on Tuesday noting that the denial of visas to two US government officials was justified because their presence in the country was intended to cast doubt on the Brazilian electoral system.

In his remarks, Lula reiterated that he will not accept any attempt at foreign interference in the October elections.

“Brazil is not only prepared but will stand up to anyone from outside the country who seeks to interfere in our electoral process.”

The Brazilian government condemned the revocation of the visa of its ambassador to the United States, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, announced on Tuesday (Aug. 4). The US government justified the measure by citing Brazil’s delay in granting agrément to the Trump administration’s nominee to head the US Embassy in Brazil.

Brazil refuted the allegations, stating they were false.

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“The Brazilian government condemns the decision announced today by the US State Department to change the visa status of Brazil’s ambassador in Washington. Both justifications are false.”

In a statement released by the government’s Communications Secretariat, Brazil asserted that the US violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by disclosing the name of its nominee to head the US Embassy in Brazil. According to the government, the nominee’s name could only be made public after the host country had granted agrément.

The US request, the statement adds, is still under review, and “the Vienna Convention does not stipulate a deadline for granting agrément.”

“Hostile measures”

The Brazilian government also cited the denial of entry to two US government officials, saying the measure was justified because the purpose of their visit was to cast doubt on Brazil’s electoral system.

“It is also obvious that there is an unwarranted interest in interfering in the upcoming presidential election.”

The statement asserts that the revocation of the ambassador’s visa is part of a “deliberate escalation of hostile measures” against Brazil.

“This decision is not an isolated incident. It is part of a deliberate escalation of hostile measures against Brazil, motivated by ideological considerations incompatible with a bilateral partnership that has always been guided by mutual respect.”

The Planalto presidential palace noted that Brazilian officials, including government officials and justices of the Supreme Court, remain subject to sanctions under the Magnitsky Act, imposed by the US government in retaliation for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for attempting a coup d’état. It also emphasized that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been working to foster understanding between the two countries.

“The Brazilian government has spared no effort to resolve these differences. During his visit to Washington last May, President Lula himself asked President Trump, among other things, to lift the individual sanctions.”