Argentina's president, Javier Milei, has sparked a diplomatic row with Brazil after calling President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a "thief" and a "convict" without naming him directly, during a rally in São Paulo to launch the presidential campaign of right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro. Brazil responded by recalling its ambassador to Buenos Aires, with diplomats saying Milei had insulted the country's government, people and democracy, while Lula insisted he would continue governing "without anyone's interference."

Milei made the remarks on Sunday while sharing a stage with Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced last year to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after losing power to Lula. Milei also branded the Supreme Court justice who oversaw that conviction, Alexandre de Moraes, as "bald trash," reflecting long-standing tension after Moraes previously blocked Milei from visiting Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest. Lula himself was jailed in 2018 over a corruption scandal but was released after 18 months, and his convictions were annulled in 2021 before he narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in the 2022 election with 50.9% of the vote.