Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has cancelled his planned visit to the southern state of Santa Catarina due to the presence of his Argentine counterpart this weekend. Javier Milei is expected to meet with Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro at a gathering of conservative leaders.
Recently, Lula demanded an apology from Milei, who had criticized him as corrupt, communist, and outdated. Milei, however, stood by his remarks, stating he had no regrets. The presidents of South America’s largest economies have never met in person. Milei, a right-wing economist and former TV personality, will attend the Conservative Political
Action Conference in Santa Catarina, where he intends to meet with Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated in Brazil’s 2022 presidential election. Milei has been vocal in his opposition to leftist governments in the region and accused Lula of corruption during his election campaign.
Despite Lula’s demand for an apology, Milei refused, asserting he had done nothing wrong. Diplomats and business leaders are concerned that tensions between the neighboring countries’ leaders could strain bilateral relations. Brazilian media outlet UOL reported concerns that Milei’s actions could jeopardize the future of the South American trade bloc Mercosur.
