Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, avoided a direct meeting with Argentina’s leader, Javier Milei, during a visit to Buenos Aires, choosing instead to see Milei’s political opponent, former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who is currently under house arrest.
Lula traveled to the Argentinian capital on Thursday for the Mercosur summit.
At around 12:30 p.m., he arrived at Kirchner’s residence—a location that has drawn visits from her supporters in recent weeks—and stayed for approximately 45 minutes.
There had been expectations that they might appear together on the balcony, a spot where Kirchner, 72, often acknowledges her supporters, but it did not happen.
Kirchner, who led Argentina from 2007 to 2015, was found guilty of irregularities in the awarding of public road contracts to a businessman linked to her family—a scheme that reportedly cost the state an estimated $500 million, according to judicial rulings. The conviction also disqualified her from holding political office.
She denied all charges but was sentenced to six years for corruption in June. Due to her age, judges allowed her to serve the sentence under house arrest, with certain conditions, including advance approval for all visitors. Lula’s meeting was authorized by a judge the day before.
After leaving the residence shortly after 1 p.m., Lula, 79, did not speak to journalists but acknowledged a small group of supporters before heading to the Brazilian embassy.
Kirchner, who alleges she has faced political persecution, shared images of their meeting online, stating: “Lula was also persecuted, subjected to legal tactics meant to imprison and silence him. They failed. He returned with the backing of Brazil’s voters, standing strong. That’s why his visit today went beyond a personal gesture—it was an act of political solidarity.”
Earlier that day, Lula had assumed the rotating leadership of Mercosur, the trade bloc comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, with Bolivia in the process of joining and Venezuela currently suspended. Milei handed over the role to him.
The strained dynamic between Lula and Milei was evident at the summit’s conclusion when Lula extended a hug, which Milei appeared to respond to hesitantly, leading to an awkward exchange.
The two leaders have never held private discussions, with their speeches at the summit reflecting opposing views on key issues, including climate change—which Milei disputes—and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Milei has referred to Lula as a “communist” and “corrupt” in the past, and the Brazilian leader did not attend Milei’s inauguration.
Earlier this year, Milei left a Mercosur gathering in Paraguay ahead of schedule to visit Brazil, where he met Lula’s main political adversary, former president Jair Bolsonaro, at a conservative political event.
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