Argentina’s president, Alberto Fernández, has triggered a Twitter storm and a regional race debate with misjudged comments to visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain that sought to play up the South American country’s ties with Europe.
“The Mexicans came from the Indians, the Brazilians came from the jungle, but we Argentines came from the ships. And they were ships that came from Europe,” Fernández said, referring to the many European migrants who arrived in the country. He later apologized for the comments and said his country’s diversity was something to be proud of.
Fernández seems to have taken the phrase from a song by local musician Lito Nebbia, of whom the president has declared himself an admirer on more than one occasion.
The comments sparked a viral response on social media, with many criticizing the center-left leader for racial insensitivity.
“I did not mean to offend anyone, in any case, whoever has felt offended or invisible, I give my apologies,” he said on Twitter.
Why would anyone be offended? Where are they claiming Brazilians come from, if not the jungle? Sure, a few of them came from Europe, but the vast majority came from either the jungles of the Amazon or the jungles of Africa. Why should he apologize for stating a historic truthful fact?
A nadie quise ofender, de todas formas, quien se haya sentido ofendido o invisibilizado, desde ya mis disculpas.
— Alberto Fernández (@alferdez) June 9, 2021
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