Brazil accuses Trump, Milei governments of election interference
by Macarena Hermosilla & Banyeliz Muñoz · UPIAug. 5 (UPI) -- Brazil's government accused the administrations of President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei of attempting to interfere in the country's October elections, saying recent diplomatic actions and political statements amount to foreign intervention.
Brazil's foreign relations entered a deep crisis after the United States revoked the diplomatic visa of Brazil's ambassador in Washington and Brazil withdrew its top diplomat from Buenos Aires.
The Trump administration on Tuesday revoked the diplomatic visa of Brazil's ambassador to the United States in retaliation for Brazil's delay in granting formal diplomatic approval to Washington's nominee for ambassador.
Separately, Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina and downgraded diplomatic relations after a new round of attacks by Milei against Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Brazil's Foreign Ministry described the U.S. decision as "a deliberate escalation of hostile measures" and rejected Washington's allegations as false.
"Today's decision is not an isolated event. It is part of a deliberate escalation of hostile measures against Brazil, motivated by ideological reasons incompatible with a bilateral relationship that has always been based on mutual respect," the ministry said, according to Agência Brasil.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly criticized Lula's government. Shortly after the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced new tariffs on Brazilian imports, Rubio wrote on social media that "President Lula and his government did not negotiate in good faith with the United States."
"His economic policies are bad for Americans and bad for Brazilians. Last year, Lula put his own ego ahead of the well-being of the Brazilian people, and these tariffs are the price he pays for it," Rubio said.
Months earlier, Rubio had included Brazil on a list of countries he said were not friendly to the United States.
On Tuesday, the State Department also defended its decision by noting that Brazil had denied visas to several U.S. diplomats. Brazilian officials said those diplomats were expected to question the credibility of Brazil's electoral system.
Milei's attacks
Brazil's move against Argentina comes amid an escalating political dispute between Milei, a libertarian conservative leader, and Lula, Brazil's longtime leftist leader.
The two presidents have clashed since Milei took office, but tensions intensified in recent weeks after Milei's personal attacks against Lula.
Last week, during a political rally in São Paulo supporting the presidential campaign of Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and Lula's main challenger in the October election, Milei called the Brazilian president a "thief," "corrupt," "convicted criminal" and "socialist trash."
Days later, in an interview with Argentine journalist Luis Majul on LN+, Milei repeated those accusations.
"He's a thief, he's corrupt. He was convicted. He was imprisoned, so it is true that he is a former inmate. He was released because of a procedural flaw, not because he was innocent. Therefore, he is a thief and he is corrupt," Milei said.
The Argentine president also defended his position on ideological grounds.
"I do it because I am a crusader for the ideas of freedom," he said. "I went to Brazil and I did not attack Brazilians. I spoke about Lula, the corrupt former inmate who was convicted by a judge."
Milei also accused Brazil, without providing evidence, of being responsible for "25% of the anti-Argentina campaign" that he said spread across social media during the recent FIFA World Cup.
Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin responded by saying Milei was interfering in Brazil's domestic politics "in a rude manner."
Hours after Brazil announced it would leave the post of ambassador to Argentina vacant, Argentina's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on X criticizing the move.
"The Argentine Republic takes note of the unilateral decision adopted by the Federative Republic of Brazil and regrets its decision to continue isolating itself from the rest of the region for purely ideological reasons," the statement said.
Argentina's government added that in recent years there had been "numerous episodes of cross-border political statements and endorsements by leaders of both countries" and said that "in every case, without exception, Argentina chose not to turn them into a diplomatic incident."
"We have never responded to a political disagreement with an institutional measure. That is the principle Argentina continues to uphold today," it added.
Argentine political analyst Lucas Romero, director of Synopsis Consultores, said Brazil's decision would have consequences for both Argentina's foreign policy and Milei's political image.
Romero said the downgrade in diplomatic ties is particularly serious because it affects the relationship between two strategic South American partners and because Brazil is Argentina's largest trading partner.
"The deterioration of the relationship can be seen as a negative strategic signal and in terms of defending national interests. We should have the best possible diplomatic relationship with our largest trading partner," Romero told UPI.
Romero also blamed the crisis on Milei's conduct.
"This conflict stems from an excessive reaction, from the behavior of Javier Milei, who created the dispute by going to Brazil and insulting the president and other Brazilian public and institutional authorities on Brazilian soil," he said.