The dispute between Argentina and Brazil should never have happened and will eventually pass, said Diego Ramiro Guelar, former Argentine Ambassador to Brazil, in an exclusive interview with China Central Television.
Brazil has downgraded relations with Argentina to the charge d'affaires level, Brazilian media said Tuesday, citing sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The decision followed remarks by Argentine President Javier Milei against Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other Brazilian officials in recent weeks.
On July 25, 2026, Milei traveled to Sao Paulo to attend a political event, where he delivered a speech endorsing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, to run against Lula in the October 4 general elections in Brazil.
He also strongly criticized President Lula and protested against Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Federal Supreme Court justice, for blocking him from visiting the imprisoned former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
"This issue needs to be viewed within a certain context. Argentina and Brazil have maintained relations for over 200 years, with deep integration in culture, economy, finance, and even nuclear energy. Currently, the Argentine Embassy in Brazil continues to operate normally, and consular offices across the country are functioning as usual. In other words, we are not experiencing a crisis, but merely going through an episode. I believe this turmoil is entirely unnecessary; such an incident is inappropriate for two nations with such close ties," said Diego Ramiro Guelar.
The former ambassador said Milei's comments were clearly influenced by the United States and stressed that cooperation will remain the dominant theme of Argentina-Brazil ties.
"Just as U.S. President [Donald Trump] made statements opposing Brazilian President Lula and supporting Jair Bolsonaro, President Milei has, to some extent, embraced this era-specific approach -- a trend that emerged over the past decade but is now nearing its end. The U.S. president has driven and intensified this trend, creating significant chaos. I believe an international order dominated and maintained by the United States from 1945 to 2025 is coming to an end. Trump accelerated a phase of disorder, and we are now moving toward a new international order. I view this as a case of 'much thunder but little rain,' because what truly matters is that cooperation between Argentina and Brazil is expanding and their bilateral relations continue to develop," he said.
Brazil's diplomatic downgrade with Argentina should never have happened: former ambassador
