Brazil's Foreign Ministry informed Argentine Ambassador Guillermo Daniel Raimondi on Tuesday (Aug. 4) that he may return to Buenos Aires, as the Brazilian government will henceforth deal only with Argentina's chargé d'affaires in Brasília. The unprecedented measure also keeps Brazil's ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, out of Buenos Aires and is a response to President Javier Milei's attacks on President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.Government officials say the arrangement will remain in place as long as Milei continues his offensive remarks. It marks the most serious diplomatic crisis between Brazil and Argentina in decades, despite Argentina being one of Brazil's main trading partners and a longstanding ally.
Raimondi has not been expelled or declared persona non grata, but he will no longer be consulted on bilateral relations and has no deadline to leave the country. Government officials compared the move to Washington's decision to revoke the visa of Brazilian Ambassador Maria Luiza Viotti, who is also allowed to remain in the United States without carrying out her duties as usual.
The dispute began more than a week ago when Milei called Lula a thief and a convicted criminal and described Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as a "bald piece of trash." Brazil responded by summoning Raimondi and recalling Bitelli for consultations. Brazilian ministers also publicly criticized Milei, while Lula mocked the Argentine president by asking, "Who is this guy?"
