Brazil and Argentina dispute a diplomatic summons over Bolsonaro's departure

Conflicting accounts over a diplomatic summons

A public dispute has arisen between Brazil and Argentina over whether a diplomatic démarche took place at all. A source in Brazilian diplomacy, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that on Thursday an Argentine diplomatic representative was summoned in Brasília to 'provide explanations' about Bolsonaro's trip; the meeting was described as 'a routine procedure.' Argentina's Foreign Ministry, however, denies that Brazil ever requested explanations about Bolsonaro's transit through the country, Euronews reports.

Bolsonaro's route to the US

According to Argentine authorities, on Wednesday Bolsonaro, who was defeated in the presidential runoff by the incumbent centre-left president Lula da Silva, crossed the border into Argentina with his family and boarded a private plane bound for Ecuador, after which he arrived in Miami. The head of the airline told AFP that the plane that took Bolsonaro to the US was paid for by an intermediary from an account at a US bank.

Context: an investigation and cooling relations

Bolsonaro, who received tacit support from US President Donald Trump, is a suspect in Brazil in cases involving corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. He has been ordered to surrender his passport, and after his election defeat he is expected to be stripped of parliamentary immunity — although he led in the first round. Despite his loss, on Wednesday he declared himself the 'legitimate president' of Brazil while in voluntary exile in Florida. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been strained since July, when Brazil recalled its ambassador and downgraded its representation after Argentine President Javier Milei called Lula da Silva a 'thief' and 'corrupt.'