Argentine president says Brazilians 'came from the jungle', apologises after backlash

MOSCOW: Argentine President Alberto Fernandez has apologized for remarks in which he compared the origin of Argentinians with that of Mexicans and Brazilians.

Fernandez made the controversial remarks at a press conference during an official visit of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Buenos Aires on Wednesday. He said that "the Mexicans came from the Indians, the Brazilians came from the jungle but we Argentinians came from the ships, and these were ships that came from Europe." This comparison has been branded as discriminatory and stereotypical.

"I did not mean to offend anyone, in any case, whoever has felt offended or invisible, I offer my apologies," Fernandez said on Twitter.

In his apology, the president indicated that by saying that Argentinians descended from ships, he referred to the first half of the 20th century when the Latin American country received more than 5 million immigrants that contributed to the country's diversity.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro responded to the statement by posting a photograph on Twitter on Thursday. It depicted the leader wearing a native headdress with a group of indigenous people.

The Argentine president met with the Spanish prime minister in Buenos Aires to relaunch the strategic relationship between the two nations. In addition, Sanchez held meetings with businessmen and the Spanish diaspora in Argentina, the largest outside Spain. He is set to visit Costa Rica next as part of his Latin America tour. (UNI)