BRASILIA – 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 made by Argentine President Javier Milei against Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other Brazilian officials in recent weeks.

On July 25, at a political event in Brazil's southeastern city of Sao Paulo to support the presidential candidacy of Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Milei strongly criticized Brazilian President Lula and protested against Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Federal Supreme Court justice, for blocking him from visiting imprisoned former Brazilian President Bolsonaro.

A day later, Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, in protest.

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Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said that Brasilia views the matter as serious, though he ruled out harsher measures for now, such as a full severance of diplomatic representation, according to the media.