Argentina says Brazil downgraded diplomatic ties after presidents' feud
Argentina's Foreign Secretary Pablo Quirno said on Wednesday that Brazil had unilaterally downgraded diplomatic relations to the level of chargé d'affaires following a public dispute between Presidents Javier Milei and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
"The Brazilian foreign ministry called our Argentine ambassador in Brazil, where it determined that relations are at the level of chargé d'affaires and also asked that our ambassador leave Brazil. That is a unilateral decision by Brazil that we regret," Quirno said.
The diplomatic row followed remarks by Milei, who described Lula as an "ex-convict", a "thief" and "corrupt". Brazil subsequently withdrew its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bittelli, and announced he would not return.
Quirno said Argentina would not retaliate and remained open to dialogue.
"There will be no diplomatic action in response to what Brazil does. Brazil has every right to make the decisions it makes," he said.
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He also rejected Brazil's complaints about possible foreign interference in its electoral process, arguing that Lula had visited former Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner during her house arrest ahead of Argentina's 2025 elections.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
