French first lady is 'truly ugly', says Brazilian minister

RIO DE JANEIRO - A Brazilian government minister said on Thursday (Sept 5) that French first lady Brigitte Macron was "truly ugly", only days after the country's president appeared to endorse an attack on her appearance.

Brazil's economy minister Paulo Guedes said he agreed with President Jair Bolsonaro's comments about Macron's looks.

"The president said it - it's true," he said to applause during an economic forum. "The woman is truly ugly."

Later, an aide said in a statement that Guedes "asks for forgiveness for the joke he made today during a public event... when he mentioned the French first lady". 

Bolsonaro garnered criticism last week when he appeared to agree with a Facebook post that implied French President Emmanuel Macron's wife was not as attractive as his own wife Michele Bolsonaro.

He wrote "Do not humiliate the guy, ha ha" on a post that read "Now you understand why Macron is persecuting Bolsonaro" next to pictures of the two first ladies.

The French president called Bolsonaro's behavior "extraordinarily rude" and the Brazilian president later deleted his comment.

Brazil and France have clashed in recent weeks over the handling of fires in the Amazon, the world's largest rainforest, which is crucial for a stable global climate.