Paraguay condemns senator's racist attack on Mbappé and stands in solidarity with the French star
Paraguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement repudiating racist remarks made by Senator Celeste Amarilla against Kylian Mbappé.
The Paraguayan government refused to stay silent. After Senator Celeste Amarilla attacked Kylian Mbappé with racist remarks — coming right on the heels of France eliminating Paraguay in the World Cup round of sixteen — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published an official statement of repudiation.
The text is unambiguous: the senator's words are "contrary to the values and principles of peaceful coexistence" of the country, according to UOL Esporte. The government also expressed solidarity with Mbappé and with everyone who may have been affected by her statements.
The statement takes care to separate the position of the State from the senator's words. The argument is clear: Paraguay is a democratic republic with independent branches of power, and what Amarilla said reflects solely her individual responsibility as a legislator — it does not represent the government or the Paraguayan people.
The document also reaffirms the strong diplomatic relationship between Paraguay and France, making plain that an episode like this should not tarnish what exists between the two countries.
On the sporting side, France remains alive in the tournament. Golmetria's model puts the French at a 13.38% chance of lifting the title — and the market sees a similar probability, at around 14.71%. Mbappé, the target of the attacks, remains a central figure in that run.
The World Cup always lays bare both the best and the worst that football has to offer. This time, the worst came from inside a parliament. The response from the Paraguayan government itself makes one thing clear: racism has no place — not in the stands, and not in the chamber.