Brazil Expels Argentine Ambassador

The Argentine government announced that it had been informed by the Brazilian government that Brasilia had requested the departure of the Argentine ambassador from the country and that it would downgrade its diplomatic representation in Buenos Aires to the level of chargé d’affaires. This development follows repeated insults directed by Argentine President Javier Milei against his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which led to the recall of the Brazilian ambassador to Brasilia for consultations. This marks the first time in modern history that one of the two neighboring Latin American countries has taken such a step against the other. A spokesperson for the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Milei had referred to Lula as a “thief” three times since Sunday.