Two days after Javier Milei attacked Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the launch of Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential campaign, diplomatic tensions between Brazil and Argentina escalated as members of the Brazilian government responded and the Argentine president launched a fresh offensive.On Saturday, Milei called Lula a "thief," "convict," and "socialist trash," while referring to Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes as "bald trash." Asked about the remarks on Monday, the Brazilian president responded sarcastically, referring to Milei: "Who is this guy?"
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Dario Durigan called Milei a "clown," while Guilherme Boulos, head of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, described him as a "pathetic caricature."
Milei, in turn, flooded the social media platform X with posts criticizing Lula, most of them focused on the alleged involvement of political consultants linked to Brazil's Workers' Party (PT) in Argentine elections.
Inside the Planalto presidential palace, Lula's allies fear that Milei and U.S. President Donald Trump could use social media and artificial intelligence to influence public opinion in the days leading up to this year's election.
