Milei accuses Brazil, Mexico, and US Democratic Party of funding 'anti-Argentine campaign' amid World Cup tensions

Milei's allegations on Radio Mitre

President Javier Milei used a Sunday interview with Radio Mitre to accuse foreign governments and a political party of orchestrating a smear effort against Argentina, apparently referencing criticism of the country and its football team during the World Cup. He singled out Brazil's government as the largest single funder, without offering any documentation or supporting material.

Who put the most money into this anti-Argentine campaign? The government of Brazil. 25% of the resources came from the government of Brazil.

He then broadened the allegation to include two other actors, again providing no specifics on sums, mechanisms, or timing.

In addition, this anti-Argentine campaign was also financed by Mexico, by the Democratic Party of the United States.

Milei framed the supposed campaign as an effort by ideological opponents to discredit his libertarian project.

These are the progressive masterminds who do not want the ideas of freedom to work.

Earlier insults trigger diplomatic crisis

Milei's radio remarks landed on a weekend already marked by an escalating diplomatic row between Buenos Aires and Brasília. On Saturday, during the investiture of Flavio Bolsonaro as a candidate for October's presidential election in São Paulo, Milei had referred to Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a "thief" and a "prisoner" without mentioning him by name, and called Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes a "bald piece of filth." On Sunday, Brasília recalled its ambassador from Argentina for consultations, citing the offensive remarks made at the São Paulo event.

The blocked prison visit to Bolsonaro

Milei also revisited a separate grievance: Brazil's Supreme Court had denied him permission the previous week to visit former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving house arrest for an attempted coup. Milei contrasted that refusal with a July 2025 visit by Lula to Cristina Kirchner, then recently imprisoned at her Buenos Aires residence on corruption charges.

I wanted to go see my friend Jair Bolsonaro. They wouldn't let me. Here, by contrast, the ex-prisoner came to see the detainee.

He insisted that Kirchner's visitor faced no restriction, while he was blocked from seeing an ally he considers wrongly imprisoned.

What comes next

The ambassador recall deepens the rift at a moment when the Argentine team is under the World Cup spotlight. Milei has produced no evidence for the financing claims, and neither the Mexican government nor the US Democratic Party had issued a response as of Sunday evening. The October Brazilian election campaign, now underway with Flavio Bolsonaro as a candidate, adds a domestic political dimension to the cross-border friction.