The Brazilian government has decided to downgrade diplomatic relations with Argentina, meaning neither country will be represented by an ambassador. Instead, the highest-ranking diplomatic representative in each country will now be the chargé d’affaires.
On Tuesday, Brazil permanently recalled its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, and requested that Argentina’s ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Raimondi, return to Buenos Aires.
The decision comes in response to Argentine President Javier Milei’s insults directed at his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, first at an event organized by Brazil’s Libertarian Party in São Paulo in late July and again this week in a series of interviews.
Milei called Lula a “thief,” “corrupt” and “convict.”
Argentina’s Foreign Ministry announced the change on Tuesday evening, saying Ambassador Raimondi had been summoned earlier that day to a meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.
