Celeste Amarilla, Paraguayan senator, has raised the stakes against Kylian Mbappé following the Real Madrid forward's criticism of her racist insults. She demands an apology and threatens legal action.
The Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla has intensified her confrontation with Kylian Mbappé after the Real Madrid forward labelled her a "despicable woman unworthy of her position" for the racist insults she directed at him following the World Cup match between Paraguay and France. Instead of retracting, Amarilla has warned the footballer not to underestimate her and has threatened to take legal action.
In a public appearance, the senator stated that she has already sent a letter to the French international "in French and in Spanish" and asked him to read it. "If he knows how to read, let him read my letter," she asserted before issuing a warning: "He should watch out for Paraguayans."
The senator recalls the Ronaldinho case to pressure Mbappé
Amarilla also recalled the time Brazilian ex-footballer Ronaldinho spent in a Paraguayan prison to insist that she is willing to take the conflict to the judicial arena. "Don't underestimate me, Mbappé. I can sue you, hire a lawyer, and they will tell you that I can indeed win," she claimed.
During her speech, the parliamentarian maintained that the forward's statements constitute a case of "gender violence" and "political violence against women", which is why she demands a public retraction. "He should apologise to me because I still have action for that," she stated.
The origin of the spat: racist insults after the World Cup
The controversy began after Paraguay was eliminated by France in the World Cup round of 16. Amarilla posted several messages on X in which she described Mbappé as a "colonised Cameroonian, pretending to be French, resentful, nouveau riche, arrogant, and ugly." She also lamented not having "slapped him with an open hand" and wrote that "instead of breast milk, he sucked on coconuts, and the most educated thing he heard were chimpanzees."
Mbappé responded harshly, calling her a "despicable woman unworthy of her position" and asserted that "I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism around the world." The footballer's response received support from French President Emmanuel Macron and the French Football Federation, which announced it would file a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office over comments it deemed "racist" and "unacceptable."
The President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, also condemned the senator's statements, according to sources from the Élysée. Meanwhile, Amarilla has targeted the leaders of Paraguayan football, accusing them of financially benefiting from the successes of the Albirroja and failing to protect the players.
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