Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay, wrote an open letter that is already circulating on social media in Spanish and French.
It all started after the World Cup round of 16, when she called Mbappé a “colonized Cameroonian” after the Albirroja’s elimination, and then deleted the post after acknowledging that she was repeating the same racial contempt that she herself suffers for being brown-skinned and Latina.
But the letter does not ask for forgiveness: it demands one. Amarilla accuses the French forward of arrogance throughout the match, of having insulted the team before playing, and of refusing to greet the Paraguayan goalkeeper at the end.
According to her, the last straw was a phrase from Mbappé describing her as a “despicable woman, unworthy of the office she holds”.
That is where the Paraguayan senator, elected twice by popular vote, drew the line: for her this is no longer about football, it is gender-based and political violence. And she warned that if there is no public apology, the next letter will be received by a court.
Letter from the senator:
Senator video: