Check out Milei's controversial speeches that generated diplomatic crises and tension

Javier Milei's lack of zeal to qualify politicians with left-wing ideology, which already generated tension in the electoral campaign, now generates diplomatic friction with other countries.

The most recent crisis occurs with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, after the Argentine president called his wife, Begoña Gómez, “corrupt”. In response, Spain decided to permanently withdraw its ambassador from Argentina.

See below the moments of tension and diplomatic crises triggered by Milei's speeches before and after his inauguration as president, in December last year.

Brazil

A year ago, when he was still a candidate, Milei described President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in an interview with Argentine broadcaster Radio La Red, as a “savage leftist” who, according to him, “supports dictators, guys who violate human rights, autocrats , with his hands stained with blood.”

Then, before the second round of elections, the Argentine president was questioned by Peruvian journalist Jaime Bayly about whether Lula was “corrupt” and replied: “Obviously, that's why he was arrested”. When asked if he would meet with his Brazilian partner, the then candidate said “no”.

Milei also said that “with the help of Lula”, the team of then candidate and Economy Minister Sergio Massa “hired a group of Brazilians who are dedicated to campaigning” against him.

“There are some complaints that the surrounding [do ex-presidente Jair] Bolsonaro did it, warning that Lula was making a move to finance this negative campaign against me.”

Still during the campaign, Milei said he would not do business with “any communist”. “I am a defender of peace, freedom and democracy. Communists don't go in there. Putin doesn't go in there. Lula doesn’t go in there,” he stated.

For his inauguration, Milei not only invited Bolsonaro, but also placed him alongside other presidents who were at the ceremony.

Lula chose not to go and sent the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, in his place, despite Argentine Chancellor Diana Mondino's attempt to invite him personally, handing the Brazilian president, on a quick trip to Brasília, a letter from Milei.

During his term in office, in April, Milei offered businessman Elon Musk help to deal with the dispute involving X, formerly Twitter, in Brazil. Musk had made a series of criticisms of the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court, Alexandre de Moraes, and threatened to disregard orders from the Brazilian Court. The judge ordered the opening of an investigation to investigate the businessman's conduct.

Neither Lula has visited Argentina nor Milei has visited Brazil since the libertarian economist took office.

China

In the campaign, Milei said that he would not promote relationships or business with “any communist”. The list of countries with which she ruled out links were: Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, Nicaragua and China.

“I am a defender of freedom, peace and democracy. The communists don't go in there, the Chinese don't go in there. Putin doesn't go there. Lula doesn't go in there. We want to be the moral beacon of the continent, the defenders of freedom, democracy, diversity, peace,” he said.

Milei has already said that China has a “totalitarian vocation”, equated the Chinese government with a “murderer” and said that people in China were not free.

After Milei's victory, the communist government responded that breaking ties with Beijing would be a “serious mistake” and that it was ready to work with the new Argentine government.

Colombia

In January, just over a month after taking office, Milei called Petro a “murderous communist who is sinking Colombia”. The Colombian Foreign Ministry expressed “its most energetic protest against the disrespectful and irresponsible statements” by Milei.

The Colombian ambassador to Argentina, Camilo Romero, wrote in X that “Milei is a hypocrite”. “While today he asks our government for an agrément for his new ambassador to Colombia, he calls President Gustavo Petro a murderer. He had already attacked Lula (Brazil) and even Pope Francis. We may think differently, but the region and the historical brotherhood of our people must rise above differences.”

In March, after completing four months as president, Milei said in an interview with CNN about Gustavo Petro, that “much cannot be expected from someone who was a terrorist murderer”.

The allusion is to the past of the Colombian president, who was part of the M-19 guerrilla. There are, however, no records that Petro participated in murders.

In response, the Colombian government ordered the expulsion of Argentina's entire diplomatic corps from their country. “The Argentine president’s expressions deteriorate the confidence of our nation, in addition to offending the dignity of President Petro, who was elected democratically,” Bogotá said in a statement.

Days later, both countries jointly announced that they held dialogues and that “they took concrete steps to overcome any differences and strengthen this relationship”.

The Colombian government then informed that it gave instructions for the Colombian ambassador – who had been called for consultations – to return to Buenos Aires, and that it granted the agreement for the new ambassador proposed by Argentina to return to Bogotá.

Spain

The last straw for the government's new diplomatic crisis was Milei traveling to Madrid and, at an event organized by Vox, a Spanish far-right party, calling Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, “corrupt”.

Gómez is being investigated for alleged influence peddling in Spanish bidding processes. The insult caused the Spanish government to permanently remove its ambassador from Buenos Aires.

The Spanish government demands a public apology from Milei. Casa Rosada, however, says that Sanchez is the one who needs to recant and that Argentina will not apologize.

Milei recalls that Spanish Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, insinuated that Milei consumed “substances” during the election campaign.

The Argentine president also argues that Sánchez campaigned for Massa, that he did not call to congratulate him on his victory in the elections and that he also criticized him.

In response to the Spanish decision to recall its ambassador, Milei said it was “nonsense worthy of a socialist”, called Sánchez “delusional” and said that the Spaniard has an “inferiority complex” in relation to him.

Mexico

In 2022, when he was a deputy, Milei criticized the current Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who supported Colombian Gustavo Petro in the elections, asking the population to “elect well”.

“López Obrador is truly pathetic, regrettable, disgusting. Not only because of the issue of intervention [no processo eleitoral colombiano], but for fatal arrogance. Who is he to tell each Colombian what it means to vote well and what it means to vote badly?” is another member of the nefarious group Fórum de São Paulo.

López Obrador's response came during the election campaign, when he called Milei an “ultra-conservative fascist” for criticizing Pope Francis.

“No one dared to insult the Pope like Milei does and without foundation. It's because of their conservatism, because they are like that. And don't think there is a difference between Milei and another conservative, no, they are the same thing. What happens is that Milei says it because he is foul-mouthed,” said the Mexican president.

After Milei's election to the presidency, López Obrador said that this victory was an “own goal” for Argentines, who voted for someone who “despises them”.

In an interview with CNN the Argentine president responded: “That an ignorant person like López Obrador speaks ill of me is a compliment, it elevates me.”

López Obrador returned to criticism on social media: “Milei stated that I am 'ignorant' because I called him a 'conservative fascist'. He's right: I still don't understand how Argentines, being so intelligent, voted for someone who doesn't work well, who despises the people”, he wrote on X, the old Twitter.