'My post against Mbappe was racist': Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla admits remarks, refuses to apologise

Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla has acknowledged that a social media post targeting French football star Kylian Mbappe was racist, describing the remarks as "unfortunate" even as she refused to apologise for them.

In a statement posted on social media, Amarilla admitted that her comments crossed a line and said she had deleted the post.

"YES, my post against Mbappé WAS RACIST. That's why I deleted, it was unfortunate," she said.

However, the senator insisted she would not apologise for the remarks.

"However, I will NOT apologize, I said what I had to say," Amarilla added.

Reflecting on her upbringing, Amarilla said she came from a generation shaped by discriminatory attitudes and language.

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"I come from a society where gays were beaten and where calling someone a shtty ngger was the most usual thing.

I come from that generation, so now I'm trying to build a different Celeste Amarilla, that's capable of co-existing with others.

Have patience, I'm trying," she added.

The controversy erupted after Paraguay's defeat to France at the World Cup on Saturday. Following the loss, Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, launched a series of social media attacks against Mbappe, whose penalty helped France secure a place in the quarter-finals.

In comments condemned by the French Football Federation (FFF) as "utterly abhorrent and unacceptable", Amarilla referred to Mbappe as a "colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to ⁠pass himself off as French" and a "brute who had not learned to write".

She also suggested that Paraguay's players should have slapped the French captain after the match.

Mbappe responded publicly, accusing the senator of damaging Paraguay's image on the global stage.

"Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition," he wrote on X.

The France captain said Amarilla's remarks had overshadowed Paraguay's achievements at the tournament.

"Through your recklessness and your ‌brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way ‌for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country," he added.

The fallout has also prompted legal scrutiny in France. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the racist remarks after the FFF filed a complaint with the country's national unit for combating online hate.

According to the Paris prosecutor's office, the inquiry is examining whether Amarilla's comments amount to aggravated public insult or incitement to hatred or violence.

Officials noted that the alleged remarks were made because of the victim's "actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion". The offences carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a €45,000 fine.

As international criticism mounted, Amarilla published an open letter in French and Spanish addressed to Mbappe. In the letter, she expressed regret for using "the same insults" that she said she had faced as a mixed-race person and confirmed that she had removed the original post.

However, she also criticised Mbappe's response, demanded an apology from the player, accused him of gender-based violence in the way he addressed her, and threatened legal action unless he retracted his comments.

"Who are you to call me indignant or despicable when you don't even know me?" she wrote.

The Paraguayan government has distanced itself from Amarilla's remarks, saying they were "contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes".

In a statement, the government stressed that the senator's comments "in no way" represented the position of Paraguay or its people.

With inputs from agencies