BIARRITZ - Brazilian women are
probably ashamed of President Jair Bolsonaro, French President
Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, hitting back after the Brazilian
leader mocked Macron's wife on Facebook.
The leaders have been feuding in recent weeks, with Macron
blaming Bolsonaro for fires in the Amazon and accusing him of
lying about climate change policy.
Bolsonaro responded on Sunday to a Facebook post that
compared the looks of his wife Michelle, 37, with Macron's
66-year-old wife Brigitte.
"Do not humiliate the man hahahah," Bolsonaro wrote, in a
comment widely criticised as sexist.
Asked about the incident at a news conference in Biarritz
where G7 leaders are gathered for a summit, Macron said the
comments were "extremely disrespectful" to his wife.
"It's sad, it's sad first of all for him and for
Brazilians," Macron said. "Brazilian women are probably feeling
ashamed of their president."
"Since I have a lot of esteem and respect for the people of
Brazil, I hope they will very soon have a president who is up to
the job," Macron added.
Later on Monday, Bolsonaro denounced Macron's plan for an
international alliance to protect the Amazon, saying on Twitter
that it would treat Brazil like a colony.
Brazil was angered after Macron, in the run up to the G7
summit, tweeted a photo of the burning Amazon forest, writing:
"Our house is burning. Literally." Macron said he had been lied
to by Bolsonaro over his commitments to fighting climate change.
In July, Bolsonaro cancelled a meeting with French Foreign
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian - getting a haircut instead.
Since taking office in January, Bolsonaro has railed against
the enforcement of environmental regulations in Brazil and
announced intentions to develop the Amazon region, where
deforestation of the world's largest rainforest by loggers,
ranchers and speculators has surged this year.