Brazil downgrades Argentina ties after Milei insults Lula

On August 5, 2026, Brazil announced it would not replace its ambassador to Argentina and downgraded diplomatic relations in response to insults by Argentine President Javier Milei directed at Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Brazilian foreign ministry, Itamaraty, took the step after a series of new attacks by Milei. As part of the downgrade, Brazil also asked the Argentine ambassador to leave the country. The move marks an unprecedented crisis in the bilateral relationship between the two South American neighbors.