The Paper's reporter Nan Boyi intern Yang Kairui
Argentine President Alberto Fernández recently sparked a debate on social media about racism in the region, saying "Brazilians come from the jungle" and subsequently apologizing for his remarks.
According to the Guardian reported on June 9, Fernandez said in a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on the same day: "Mexicans come from Indians (tribes), Brazilians come from the jungle, and we Argentines come from boats — from European ships." Fernandez appears to have quoted the phrase from a song by local musician Lito Nebbia, who has declared himself an admirer of Lito Nebbia more than once in the past.
Still, Fernandez's remarks sparked widespread criticism on social media and quickly spread. Fernandez later apologized on social media, saying he didn't actually want to offend anyone.
In response to Fernandez's remarks, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro posted a photo of himself among indigenous groups on social media, accompanied by portuguese "jungles" and Brazilian flags. Brazilian Rep. Eduardo Bolsonaro's son, Bolsonaro, also slammed Fernandez as a "racist" and teased Argentina's economic woes that have been in recession since 2018.
"The Argentine ship is a ship that is sinking," he wrote on social media.
Editor-in-Charge: Zhang Wuwei
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