Javier Milei arrived in São Paulo as president of Argentina and spoke as though he were still on the campaign trail.
At the launch of Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential bid, on July 25, Milei called Brazil’s government a collection of “thieving socialists,” described President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a thief and a convict, and attacked Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina for consultations and summoned the Argentine ambassador in Brasília.
The next day, Milei accused the governments of Brazil and Mexico, along with the United States Democratic Party, of financing an online campaign against Argentina during the World Cup. Brazil, he said, had supplied 25 percent of the resources. He offered no evidence.
The episode followed a familiar script. Milei provokes, the target responds, and that reaction is folded back into the original accusation. Objection becomes persecution. A dispute created by the president returns to Argentina as proof that the country is under attack.
