{
  "id": 105909,
  "title": "Milei doubles down on calling Brazil's Lula a 'thief'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/milei-doubles-down-on-calling-brazils-lula-a-thief",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-03T22:12:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Buenos Aires Times",
    "slug": "buenos-aires-times",
    "url": "https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/milei-doubles-down-on-calling-brazils-lula-a-thief.phtml"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Javier Milei has once again accused Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of being a \"thief\" and \"corrupt\" in a recent interview. Milei claimed that Lula has been convicted of theft and corruption, and has even been in prison, making it justified to refer to him as a convict. This latest statement came after Milei endorsed the presidential candidacy of Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, during a rally in São Paulo.\n\nThe Argentine leader's remarks prompted Brazil to recall its ambassador to Argentina for consultations, expressing strong repudiation of the comments. Brazil also summoned Argentina's ambassador in Brasília to demand an explanation and clarify the context of Milei's attacks on both Lula and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.\n\nIn response, Argentine officials sought to de-escalate tensions. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno affirmed that there was no intention of severing relations between the two neighboring countries, which are major trading partners. Presidential spokesperson Adrián Ravier described the controversy as stemming from ideological and political differences.\n\nMilei defended his accusations, stating that calling someone a thief is less severe than the act of theft itself. He argued that Lula was released from prison due to an administrative error, not because he is innocent. Milei emphasized that his actions are driven by a commitment to freedom and democracy. Lula, who served as Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010 and again from 2023, spent 580 days in prison after being convicted in the Operation Car Wash corruption investigation, a case later declared invalid due to procedural issues.",
  "summary": "President Javier Milei renews his attacks on Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Leer más",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MercoPress",
        "title": "Lula pledges defense spending so no one invades Brazil as he confirms his candidacy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/lula-pledges-defense-spending-so-no-one-invades-brazil-as-he-confirms",
        "published": "2026-08-02T20:29:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}