Emmanuel Macron, the President of France has blasted
Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro after he appeared to mock his wife on social
media.
Trouble started after Bolsonaro endorsed a sexist Facebook
post about France's 66-year-old first lady Brigitte Macron. Bolsonaro's
supporter posted a meme mocking the appearance of Mrs. Macron and compared her
with Brazil's 37-year-old first lady Michelle Bolsonaro.
He wrote: 'Now you understand why Macron is persecuting
Bolsonaro?'
The far-right Brazilian leader, 64, replied: 'Do not
humiliate the guy, ha ha,' referring to Mr. Macron.
While at a Monday (August 26) meeting for emergency talks by
G7 nations on the fires destroying chunks of the Amazon rainforest, French
President Macron, 41, accused Bolsonaro of having a 'colonialist mentality'.
When asked about the post at the G7 summit in Biarritz,
France, Macron said that 'Brazilian women are probably feeling ashamed of their
president.'
Asked whether the response on social media came from
Bolsonaro himself, a spokesman for Brazil's presidential palace refused to
comment. But the French Prime Minister hit back saying: 'He said very
disrespectful things about my wife, I have great respect for the Brazilian
people and can only hope they soon have a president who is up to the job.'
He said Bolsonaro's comments were 'extraordinarily rude',
adding: 'What can I say? It's sad. It's sad for him firstly, and for
Brazilians.'
Mr Macron added at the press conference in France: 'I think
Brazilian women will probably be ashamed to read that from their president.
'I think that Brazilians, who are a great people, will
probably be ashamed to see this behaviour.
'And as I feel friendship and respect towards the Brazilian
people, I hope that they will very soon have a president who behaves in the
right way.'
The dispute comes as Macron announced the G7 counties would
release 20 million euros ($22m) to help fight the raging fires in the Amazon.
