Emmanuel Macron, the President of France has blasted Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro after he appeared to mock his wife on social media.
Trouble started after Bolsonaro endorsed a sexist Facebook post about France's 66-year-old first lady Brigitte Macron. Bolsonaro's supporter posted a meme mocking the appearance of Mrs. Macron and compared her with Brazil's 37-year-old first lady Michelle Bolsonaro.
He wrote: 'Now you understand why Macron is persecuting Bolsonaro?'
The far-right Brazilian leader, 64, replied: 'Do not humiliate the guy, ha ha,' referring to Mr. Macron.
While at a Monday (August 26) meeting for emergency talks by G7 nations on the fires destroying chunks of the Amazon rainforest, French President Macron, 41, accused Bolsonaro of having a 'colonialist mentality'.
When asked about the post at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, Macron said that 'Brazilian women are probably feeling ashamed of their president.'
Asked whether the response on social media came from Bolsonaro himself, a spokesman for Brazil's presidential palace refused to comment. But the French Prime Minister hit back saying: 'He said very disrespectful things about my wife, I have great respect for the Brazilian people and can only hope they soon have a president who is up to the job.'
He said Bolsonaro's comments were 'extraordinarily rude', adding: 'What can I say? It's sad. It's sad for him firstly, and for Brazilians.'
Mr Macron added at the press conference in France: 'I think Brazilian women will probably be ashamed to read that from their president.
'I think that Brazilians, who are a great people, will probably be ashamed to see this behaviour.
'And as I feel friendship and respect towards the Brazilian people, I hope that they will very soon have a president who behaves in the right way.'
The dispute comes as Macron announced the G7 counties would release 20 million euros ($22m) to help fight the raging fires in the Amazon.
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