Brasilia (AFP)
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Sunday that Argentinians were "dropping" money out of banks in anticipation of the October victory of center-left Peronist Alberto Fernandez in Argentina's presidential election.
"With the possible return of the band of the Sao Paulo Forum (which brings together the left-wing parties of Latin America, ed) in Argentina, the people withdraw their money from the banks," tweeted the far-right president.
Bolsonaro lashed out throughout the week at opposition to Argentine Liberal President Mauricio Macri, who suffered a major setback on August 11 against Alberto Fernandez in the primary elections.
Fernandez's wide victory made him the favorite of the October presidential election, with former center-left president Cristina Kirchner (2007-2015) as a running mate.
During a tour in the north-east of the country on Wednesday, Bolsonaro said that Argentina was sinking into "chaos," after waving two days earlier the specter of a massive exodus of Argentines to Brazil, in the image of what has been happening for several years with Venezuela, in the grip of a major political and economic crisis.
The Brazilian president had received a scathing response from Alberto Fernandez: "I am glad he speaks ill of me, he is racist, violent and misogynist".
Brazilian analysts said the president's interference in the neighboring country's domestic policy, one of its biggest trading partners, was unprecedented for the country's diplomacy.
© 2019 AFP