In brief
On Thursday Brazil’s foreign ministry met Argentina’s chargé d’affaires, Maria Emilia Cortes, to question the Argentine government’s role in Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s departure to the United States. The move follows Milei’s criticism of President Lula and his support for Bolsonaro during the election. Bolsonaro left Brazil aboard a private plane that had departed from Argentine soil, a fact the Argentine government confirmed.
On Thursday, the Brazilian government summoned Argentina’s charge d’affaires, Maria Emilia Cortes, to the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília to seek clarification about the Argentine government’s alleged role in Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s departure to the United States. Brazilian officials reportedly demanded explanations after Bolsonaro, who lost the runoff on October 25, departed with his family on a private plane that left Argentine territory on Tuesday night, visited Ecuador, and then headed to Washington, D.C.
Argentina’s government confirmed that the senator and his family departed from Argentine soil, and that the plane had turned over to the United States after a stopover in Ecuador. It further stated that the departure was organised by Bolsonaro’s own staff and was not an official Argentine diplomatic activity.
The summons came after Argentine President Javier Milei publicly criticised Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the campaign and offered support to Bolsonaro. Milei’s remarks triggered a diplomatic response from Brazil, which deemed the comments as interference in its internal affairs.
Source: Xinhua (October 30). The outlet reported that the move to summon Cortes was a “response to Milei’s remarks” and a “signal of Brazil’s insistence on clarity regarding the senator’s departure.” No quotes from either side were provided in the brief.
