Paraguayan Senator Laughs Off Her Expulsion from France—Investigations Are Underway Against Her in Paris

Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla has followed up her racist insults against soccer star Kylian Mbappé with further verbal attacks and expressed schadenfreude over France's elimination from the World Cup.

After the Équipe Tricolore was eliminated in the World Cup soccer semifinals against Spain (0–2), the politician in the Paraguayan Senate pointedly appeared wearing the colors of Spain and stated: “Like many others, I’m happy for Spain, the motherland. That’s why I’m wearing these colors as a tribute. (...) Mbappé has now gotten his karma. Paraguayan karma, not just mine,” the newspaper “Hoy” quoted the politician as saying.

Amarilla had previously taken a jab at the French team's defeat against the Iberians with schadenfreude-filled memes on her social media channels.

Racist insults

The day after Paraguay was eliminated from the World Cup in the Round of 16 against France (July 4), the senator described the French forward, among other things, as a “colonized Cameroonian” who acts like a tough Frenchman, and who was “full of inferiority complexes, nouveau riche, arrogant, and ugly.” The incident stemmed from Mbappé’s refusal to shake hands with Paraguay’s national team goalkeeper, Orlando Gill.

Rassismus-Eklat

Senatorin aus Paraguay: «Statt Muttermilch hat Mbappé Kokosnüsse ausgesaugt»

Mbappé later responded publicly to the comments. When asked if she had expected the soccer player to respond, Amarilla said, “Who would even think that Mbappé would reply to you? No, nothing—I just posted that for fun.”

The senator is not concerned that her racist remarks could lead to criminal charges in France. “I assume it’s been forgotten. I don’t know if the prosecutor’s office has its own timeline or if I’ll be notified, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” “Hoy” quoted her as saying.

Criminal Complaint in France

Instead, she described the commotion surrounding her remarks as a media success. “I couldn’t ask for more popularity than what this has brought me.”

The French Football Federation had filed a complaint following the politician's verbal outbursts. The Paris public prosecutor's office launched an investigation into public insults on racist grounds and public incitement to hatred or violence.