Under Milei, Argentina ceases to be Lula's main international destination

Argentina is no longer the main international destination of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in his third term, according to a survey by CNN Brasil with data from his official agenda. The president has reduced the frequency of trips to his neighbor since Javier Milei took over Casa Rosada.

In Lula 1 and Lula 2, Argentina was the international destination most visited by the president. The representative traveled to the neighbor seven times between 2003 and 2006 and ten times from 2007 to 2010. During these periods, the neighbor was commanded by PT allies, Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Kirchner.

So far in his third term, Lula has only been to Argentina three times - two trips taking place in 2023, when the country still had the leftist Alberto Fernández as president. The only visit under Milei took place in participation in the Mercosul Summit, in July 2025.

The president's aides admitted, with reservation, that the lower frequency of trips is due to the ideological distance between the representatives. Lula and Milei have publicly exposed political differences more than once over the last few years.

So far, Lula's main destinations in his third term have been Colombia and the United States - even amid tension in the diplomatic relationship between Brasília and Washington. The PT member traveled five times to each of these countries.

Africa also lost space on Lula's agenda in the current government. In Lula 1 and 2, it was the continent most visited by the PT member, with 17 trips and 14 trips respectively. In his third visit to Palácio do Planalto, the president visited the country only seven times.

According to palace sources, one of the reasons for the lower frequency of trips to the continent is the number of internal armed conflicts that are spreading across African countries - and make any type of diplomatic visit impossible.

Lula reduces the pace of travel
President Lula slowed down the pace of international travel in his third term. The PT member registers 70 visits to other countries and totals 127 days outside Brazil.

The time spent traveling internationally is equivalent to around 10% of the PT member's third term - or just over four months. In 2023, Lula spent 51 days outside Brazil; in 2024, 23 days; in 2025, 40 days; and in 2026, 13 days.

The survey considers trips already undertaken by the president. Lula should have two more agendas in the first half of the year: the first is the G7 Summit, in France, next week; the second is the Mercosur summit, in Paraguay, which takes place at the end of June. In the second half of the year, the PT member must still attend the UN General Assembly, the G20 Summit, both in the United States, and COP31, in Turkey, but he will prioritize national agendas in the campaign for re-election.

The number of trips is far from those recorded by Lula 1 and Lula 2. In his first term, the president made 104 visits and spent 216 days outside Brazil; and in the second government he accelerated this pace, with 146 visits and 276 days abroad.

Source: CNN