Milei sparks diplomatic crisis with attacks on Lula at Bolsonaro campaign rally

A few days ago, far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, was officially nominated as the presidential candidate for the upcoming elections in Brazil. The event was attended by Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei, in a public show of support for his campaign.

At that political rally, Milei launched a very clear attack against his Brazilian counterpart, the center-leftist Lula da Silva. He called him an “ex-convict,” alluding to the time Lula spent in prison before being cleared of all charges, returning to political life, and winning the presidency again in 2022, defeating then-President Jair Bolsonaro.

Following that, Bolsonaro was charged and sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup d’état when several of his supporters stormed government buildings on January 8, 2023. In July 2024, Brazilian police claimed to have found a draft asylum request on the former president’s phone addressed specifically to Argentine President Javier Milei.

Today, another Bolsonaro hopes to become president and continue the ultra-conservative, pro-Washington agenda that his father imposed on Brazil – in clear opposition to Lula, who has sought to pursue an economic policy open to negotiations with various countries, including China (Brazil’s main trading partner).

This is particularly sensitive in the wake of the tariffs that Trump imposed on Brazil, which he said were in response to the conviction and imprisonment of Bolsonaro, a close friend of the US president.