Argentina’s President Unable to Meet Bolsonaro Due to Court Ban
Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, is unable to visit former President Jair Bolsonaro as planned this week. This follows a 30-day visitation ban imposed by Judge Alexandre de Moraes from Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court over the weekend.
The ban on Bolsonaro, which restricts him from attending any visits for “political campaign purposes” until after the October 2026 general election, adds to the restrictions he is already facing.
Milei is set to embark on a tour of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia soon. There were reports that he intended to visit São Paulo on July 25 to attend an event hosted by Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL). It’s anticipated that the PL will officially announce Senator Flavio Bolsonaro as its presidential candidate for the upcoming election on that day.
In an earlier interview, Milei mentioned plans to stop in Brasilia to greet Bolsonaro.
Currently, Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for “crimes against democracy.” In March, he was moved from solitary confinement to his home in Brasilia, where he remains under strict “humanitarian” house arrest due to health issues, including a recent battle with pneumonia.
Judge de Moraes has pursued a stringent stance against Bolsonaro and recently restricted Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father after a senator shared a letter written by Jair Bolsonaro, urging supporters to back Flavio’s campaign. Flavio aims to challenge current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is running for a fourth term.
Additionally, de Moraes has imposed a new ban, preventing Jair Bolsonaro from holding any meetings for 30 days, applicable to his family and anyone not part of his medical or legal team. The judge also reiterated the prohibition on political-related visits until after the elections.
In light of these developments, Bolsonaro’s legal team has filed a request with de Moraes, seeking permission for Milei’s visit. The request was reportedly submitted on July 25 and included Milei and two members of his delegation.
However, the judge promptly rejected this request, citing the new visitation ban. He emphasized that Milei’s intended visit also falls under these restrictions.
As of now, neither President Milei nor his administration has commented publicly on this situation. There are indications that Bolsonaro’s lawyers plan to challenge the ban, although it seems improbable that any exception would be granted in time for Milei’s planned visit on Friday. Nevertheless, an exception may allow Milei to meet with Brazilian investors during his trip.
This latest visitation ban reflects ongoing limitations placed on Jair Bolsonaro, which include a prohibition on media interactions, phone usage, internet access, and social media. In fact, the sharing of his letter by Senator Flavio has been described as a breach of the social media ban that applies to Bolsonaro.
As reported, Milei plans to attend the inauguration of conservative president-elect Keiko Fujimori in Brazil on July 28, proceed to Peru, and be in Bogotá on August 7 for the inauguration of president-elect Abelardo de la Espriela. He will also visit Ecuador to meet with President Daniel Novoa and sign several agreements.
