Politics · Brazil · 2 hrs ago
Milei accuses Lula of trying to steal Brazil’s election
Argentina’s President Javier Milei renewed his attacks on Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of Brazil’s presidential runoff.
Milei accused Lula of running a “dirty campaign” and suggested he might try to steal the election, while calling him a “leftist thief.”
Lula is facing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, whom Milei has publicly backed, in the vote scheduled for Sunday.
The dispute followed comments by Lula defending a shorter working week and remarks during a debate with Bolsonaro.
Brazil’s foreign ministry condemned Milei’s statements as unacceptable foreign interference in the country’s democratic process.
The two countries are Mercosur’s largest economies, and Brazil is Argentina’s main trading partner.
The election runoff is the next major step, with polls reported as showing a statistical tie.
Argentine President Javier Milei accused Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of running a dirty campaign and suggested he might try to steal Brazil’s presidential runoff.
Milei made the remarks on social media ahead of Lula’s runoff against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, whom Milei supports.
Brazil’s foreign ministry condemned the remarks as an unacceptable attempt at foreign interference in the country’s democratic process.
Milei’s post included a clip of Lula discussing the shorter working week and women’s domestic work.
The runoff was scheduled for Sunday, October 25.
- Who
- Argentine President Javier Milei accused Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of election-related wrongdoing.
- What
- Milei said he hoped Lula would not try to steal the election and called him a “leftist thief.” Brazil’s foreign ministry criticized the remarks.
- When
- Tuesday, October 20, ahead of the runoff scheduled for October 25.
- Where
- Brazil; Milei made the remarks on social media.
- Why
- Milei’s post accompanied a clip of Lula discussing the shorter working week. The sources do not state a more specific reason for the accusation.
Javier Milei
Brazil’s foreign ministry
Election allegations
Javier Milei
Milei suggested Lula’s campaign might try to steal the election and called him a “leftist thief.
Brazil’s foreign ministry
The ministry said Milei was repeating lies and called his remarks an unacceptable attempt at foreign interference in Brazil’s democratic process.
Milei posted an image of Lula on Instagram with the word “thief.
Milei posted a clip from the previous night’s debate and criticized Lula on X.
Milei posted a clip of Lula discussing the shorter working week and said he hoped Lula’s campaign would not steal the election.
Brazil’s presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro was scheduled to take place.
- Accuser
- Javier Milei, president of Argentina
- Target
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil
- Election
- Brazil’s presidential runoff, scheduled for October 25
- Opponent
- Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, backed publicly by Milei
- Brazilian response
- Foreign ministry called the remarks an unacceptable attempt at foreign interference
3 sources
What people are saying
I hope his latest dirty campaign trick doesn’t include stealing the election… Leftist thief
The president of the Argentine Republic reiterates lies spread by those who lost the elections and staged the failed military coup four years ago.
This anti-democratic statement is unacceptable, unbalanced, and does not reflect the conduct expected of the head of state of a friendly country.