Brazilian governmen summons Argentine diplomat over Flávio Bolsonaro's escape

Brazil has summoned Argentina's diplomatic representative to seek explanations over the possible involvement of President Javier Milei's government in facilitating Flávio Bolsonaro's departure from the country after the defeated presidential candidate fled to the United States.

The move was confirmed by multiple news outlets and a Brazilian diplomatic source, who spoke to the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.

The Argentine Embassy's chargé d'affaires, María Emilia Cortés, was summoned on Thursday, October 29, and received at the headquarters of Brazil's Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty) in Brasília by João Marcelo Galvão de Queiroz, head of its Mercosur Department and ambassador responsible for South American affairs.

The meeting lasted only a few minutes and was described by the Brazilian source as a "routine procedure."

Cortés was not received by the ministry's senior leadership, and neither government issued a public statement following the encounter.

Brazilian officials reportedly sought information about the arrangements that enabled Bolsonaro to leave Brazil via Argentina, as well as any possible role played by Milei's administration in organising his transfer to the United States.

The summons came after Bolsonaro, who had been ordered by Brazil's Supreme Court to surrender his passports and barred from leaving the country amid an ongoing money-laundering investigation, crossed into Argentina with his family on Tuesday.

The former presidential candidate travelled to Puerto Iguazú, in Misiones Province, where he boarded a private aircraft bound for Guayaquil, Ecuador. He subsequently continued to Miami, arriving in the United States on Wednesday.

His departure, despite the judicial restrictions imposed on him, has raised questions in both countries about the possible involvement of Argentine officials in facilitating the journey.

Cortés has been in charge of Argentina's diplomatic mission in Brazil since August, when Ambassador Daniel Raimondi left the neighbouring country following a decision by Brazil to downgrade diplomatic relations, leaving a chargé d'affaires in charge of the embassy.

For the time being, Brasília has announced no further diplomatic measures against Argentina.

– TIMES/NA/AFP