Thursday, July 30th 2026 - 16:26 UTC
The crisis erupted when Argentine President Javier Milei spoke at the Liberal Party's national convention in São Paulo, where he backed Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential candidacy
The Brazilian government confirmed that its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Glinternick Bitelli, will return to Buenos Aires after being recalled for consultations, without specifying when, in the first sign of de-escalation in the most serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries in decades.
Sources at Itamaraty said the underlying decision has been taken and that the timing of the return will depend on how the bilateral climate evolves. Accounts differ, however, on the scope of that determination: while some reports hold that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has already given political authorization, others published the same Thursday indicate that Brasília will keep the diplomat away from Buenos Aires indefinitely, pending signs of moderation from the Argentine government.
Bitelli, ambassador since 2023, arrived in Brasília on Monday and held two rounds of meetings with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, the second on Wednesday, followed by a meeting with Lula.
