Gérard Julien, AFP | French First Lady Brigitte Macron pictured at the presidential summer retreat at fort Brégançon on August 19.

Brazilians took to social media on Tuesday to apologise for their president, Jair Bolsonaro, after he insulted the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron with whom he has a continuing diplomatic spat.

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A Bolsonaro supporter posted a Facebook message that compared Brigitte Macron's appearance unfavourably to that of Brazil's first lady.

"Now do you understand why Macron is persecuting Bolsonaro?" he wrote next to a picture of Brigitte Macron, 66, who is 29 years older than Bolsonaro's wife Michelle Bolsonaro, 37.

"Do not humiliate the guy, ha ha," Bolsonaro replied, in a comment widely criticised as sexist.

Asked at a press conference about the remarks on Monday, Macron called them "extraordinarily rude".

"It's sad, but it's sad most of all for him and for the Brazilians," he said.

"I think Brazilian women will probably be ashamed to read that from their president," Macron added.

>> Macron calls out Bolsonaro's 'rude' insults against wife Brigitte

"I think that Brazilians, who are a great people, will probably be ashamed to see this behaviour."

Offering his own dig at the populist Brazilian, Macron said: "As I feel friendship and respect towards the Brazilian people, I hope that they will soon have a president who behaves properly."

And it appears many Brazilians feel the same. Some took to Twitter on Tuesday to express their dismay at their president's comments using the hashtag #DesculpaBrigitte (Sorry, Brigitte).

"Sorry about our president, he’s a idiot. #DesculpaBrigitte," wrote one, in English.

Sorry about our president, he’s a idiot. #DesculpaBrigitte Alana (@alananevves) August 27, 2019

Some emphasised that Bolsonaro did not speak for them and was not representative of the Brazilian spirit.

@EmanuelMacron this stupid presidente doesn’t represent all brasilian people . We are very shamed ! #DesculpaBrigitte claudia almada (@cacamacedolem) August 27, 2019

Others were full of praise for France's first lady and expressed embarrassment at Bolsonaro's comments.

Forgive us Lady Macron, first I don’t speak French (I would love to), second I didn’t vote to him and I’m actually crying for everything. You’re an amazing woman and your husband is a marvellous man. 😭💔#DesculpaBrigitte #PardonnevousBrigitte @EmmanuelMacron pic.twitter.com/CsLQuoTFxu Roberta Trevisan (@rtms1988) August 26, 2019

#PardonBrigitte #DesculpaBrigitte



Keep doing your AMAZING job first lady! Your actions are so necessary to the french people. As brazilian woman i feel ashamed to be represented by such vil and mean person! All my deepest respect to you and your contry ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PSFZgx6nvT Marina B🌹🇧🇷 (@MariaBo47650109) August 27, 2019

Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho, famed author of "The Alchemist", went as far as to make a video in which he apologises for Bolsonaro in French.

"This is a sad video to apologise to my French friends for the crisis, the hysteria, of Bolsonaro toward France, the French president and the French first lady," he said by way of introduction.

Au peuple français pic.twitter.com/MWGG1koMbx Paulo Coelho (@paulocoelho) August 26, 2019

Some made their own unflattering comparisons between Bolsonaro and Macron.

A única comparação que deveria ter sido feita:



Pão Francês / Pão que o diabo amassou 🤣#DesculpaBrigitte pic.twitter.com/uO3cUvz8dr Bibis Pereira (@fabiana0biana) August 27, 2019

Or even likened Bolsonaro to SpongeBob SquarePants, a cartoon of a yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple under the Pacific Ocean.

Others pointed out the hypocrisy of a young man being ridiculed for having an older wife.

"Isn't it funny how older men think it's OK to have a good looking young wife, but think it's terrible for an older woman to have a good looking younger husband."

Isn't it funny how older men think it's OK to have a good looking young wife, but think it's terrible for an older woman to have a good looking younger husband. #DesculpaBrigitte pic.twitter.com/zntOi4cd82 Angie Fay bending that curve (m.a. hons) (@lifelearner47) August 27, 2019

News of the tweets has apparently reached Brigitte Macron, who is said to be touched by the messages of support.

But despite the apologies, relations took another turn for the worse on Tuesday when Bolsonaro rejected $20 million in aid offered by G7 countries to fight the fires raging in the Amazon, saying Brazil would only accept if Macron retracted certain comments that he found offensive, among them Macron's criticisms of Bolsonaro's reaction to the Amazon crisis.

"Mr Macron must withdraw the insults he made against me," Bolsonaro told reporters in the capital Brasilia.

Brazilians are using #DesculpaBrigitte to apologise for their president

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)

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