Javier Millay, who is on his first visit to Brazil as the President of Argentina, yesterday attacked socialism for limiting freedoms and creating corruption, in his speech at a conservative event led by former Brazilian right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, BTA reported.
Reading from a pre-prepared speech at a rally organized by the Brazilian branch of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CAPC Brasil) in the coastal resort of Balneario Camboriu in southern Brazil, Millay did not mention Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva even as Bolsonaro supporters chanted hurled insults at the left-wing leader and called for him to be put in prison.
Milley decided to skip the presidential summit of the Mercosur trade bloc in Paraguay, where he would have finally met Lula, the leader of Argentina's main trading partner. Instead, he decided to attend the rally of his right-wing ally Bolsonaro.
Milley strained relations with the Brazilian government last week, calling Lula "corrupt" and "communist" in a publication in "Ex".
After the speech, the crowd cheered for Bolsonaro, saying they want to return him to power, even though he is barred from running for office until 2030 for attacks on democracy and is under investigation for other alleged crimes during his four-year term mandate.
CPAC Brasil aims to drum up support for Bolsonaro's party candidates in this year's local elections and boost his influence ahead of the 2026 presidential race.
The event, billed as the first major opposition rally of the October local election campaign, also served to unite America's right-wing leaders.
The former Chilean presidential candidate Jose Antonio Cast spoke at the rally, as did former Bolivian minister Branko Marinkovic, who was presented as a possible candidate for next year's presidential elections in Bolivia.
Right-wing politicians from Portugal and El Salvador also spoke during the event.
Bolsonaro, whose appearance was on Saturday, said the right was gaining ground internationally, in Italy and France, and expressed hope that former US President Donald Trump would return to the White House this year.