Argentine President Javier Milei made his first visit to Brazil on July 7, 2024, attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina. During his speech, Milei strongly criticized socialist governments in Latin America, describing socialism as an ideology that leads to ‘slavery or death’.Milei expressed solidarity with former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whom he claimed is a victim of ‘judicial persecution’ in Brazil. This statement comes as Bolsonaro faces multiple legal cases, including investigations for alleged coup attempts.Notably, Milei avoided directly mentioning Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his speech. However, his supporters at the event chanted insults against Lula, demanding his imprisonment. Milei has previously called Lula ‘corrupt’ and ‘communist’ on social media, leading to tensions between the two leaders.The Argentine President chose to skip the Mercosur presidential summit in Paraguay, where he was supposed to meet with Lula, opting instead to attend the CPAC event with Bolsonaro. This decision, along with his comments, has raised concerns about potential strain in Argentina-Brazil relations.The CPAC Brasil 2024 event aimed to drum up support for Bolsonaro’s party candidates in the upcoming municipal elections and project influence towards the 2026 presidential race. It brought together right-wing leaders from across the Americas, including former Chilean presidential candidate José Antonio Kast and former Bolivian Minister Branko Marinkovic.
Key points
- Argentine President Javier Milei made his first visit to Brazil, attending CPAC and criticizing socialist governments in Latin America.
- Milei expressed support for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, claiming he is a victim of ‘judicial persecution’.
- The visit and Milei’s comments have raised concerns about potential strain in Argentina-Brazil relations.
Contradictions👾While most sources report that Milei avoided directly mentioning Lula, one source claims that Milei criticized Lula, calling him ‘corrupt’ and ‘communist’.
This discrepancy may be due to different interpretations of Milei’s veiled references or statements made outside the main speech.
