Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla has threatened to take legal action against France captain Kylian Mbappé after the football star accused her of making racist remarks following France's World Cup victory over Paraguay.
In an open letter released on Tuesday, the senator rejected the accusation and demanded a public apology from the Real Madrid forward.
Amarilla insisted that her disagreement was with Mbappé personally and not with France, a country she said she admires and has consistently supported.
"The issue is between you and me. I have never spoken against France. On the contrary, I stand with France," she wrote.
The senator admitted that the posts were made in the heat of the moment after Paraguay's defeat and said she deleted them after realizing they reflected the same type of insults she often condemns.
"I immediately regretted responding with the same insults that I myself condemn. I realised I was repeating the behaviour I despise, so I deleted the post," she said.
Despite expressing regret over the deleted comments, Amarilla argued that Mbappé crossed the line by calling her "a despicable woman" who was unworthy of holding public office.
"I am a senator elected by the Paraguayan people. Who are you to call me unworthy or despicable when you do not even know me?" she wrote.
She went on to demand that Mbappé withdraw his remarks and apologise, warning that she could pursue legal action against him for what she described as gender-based violence.
The public dispute comes after Mbappé accused the senator of racism, saying her comments tarnished Paraguay's impressive World Cup campaign and had no place in football or society.
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