Argentina’s President Javier Milei to Miss MERCOSUR Summit
The President of Argentina, Javier Milei, will not attend the upcoming Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) summit scheduled for next Monday. This decision is attributed to "agenda issues" by Argentine Government spokesman Manuel Adorni.
Adorni attributed the cancellation to an alleged "overload" of work, which led to the planned trip being cancelled, as he acknowledged "a few days ago." In place of Milei, Foreign Minister Diana Mondino will travel to Paraguay.
Lula and Milei’s Tense Relationship
The summit’s absence comes amidst a tense relationship between Milei and Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva. The two leaders met in June during the G7 summit in Italy, but did not hold any bilateral meetings. Lula publicly demanded an apology from Milei for recent comments, while Milei mocked the request, calling Lula "corrupt" or "communist."
Possible Meeting with Jair Bolsonaro
A potential meeting between Milei and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is also in the works. Milei is set to leave for Brazil on Saturday, and while nothing is confirmed, Adorni did not rule out the possibility.
Olympic Games Visit
Milei’s agenda also includes a visit to France to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26. However, the trip has been modified, and part of the agenda will be postponed due to "different reasons" agreed upon with French authorities.
The spokesperson did not elaborate on the reasons for the changes, but confirmed that the visit will still take place.