Argentina leader doubles down on calling Brazil’s president a ‘thief’
Javier Milei says Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva can be called a convict, citing corruption convictions that led to his 580 days in jail.
Argentina's President Javier Milei has once again harshly criticized his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, referring to him as a "thief" and a "crook" in recent comments. This escalated verbal exchange follows a diplomatic standoff last week, where Milei dubbed Lula a "criminal." Milei made these statements during an interview on LN+, echoing similar remarks from a speech he gave in Brazil supporting Lula's right-wing rival, Flavio Bolsonaro, in the upcoming presidential race.
Brazil responded by recalling its ambassador to Argentina for further talks following Milei's comments, which also targeted a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. The Argentine government attempted to downplay the tension, describing it as stemming from "ideological and political differences." When questioned about his aggressive stance towards Lula, Milei responded, "Isn't it aggressive when someone steals from you?
Calling a thief a 'thief' is far less severe than the act of theft itself." Milei reiterated his stance, stating that Lula was released from prison due to an administrative mistake, not because he was innocent, and thus, he is a "thief and a corrupt official." Milei clarified, "I'm doing this because I'm a champion of the ideals of freedom."
Lula, who served as Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, spent 580 days in jail from April 2018 due to his conviction in the Operation Car Wash anti-corruption probe. He was released after his conviction was overturned on procedural grounds, and the presiding judge was later found to have been biased.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
