Mexican politician to be investigated for comments made against Ronaldinho

Friday 19 Sep 2014
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Mexico’s National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Discrimination (CONAPRED), announced on Monday (14 September) it will start an investigation against Mexican politician Carlos Manuel Treviño, who called Brazilian player Ronaldinho an “ape” on his Facebook page.

“On 14 September CONAPRED began an investigation about the expressions against the athlete,” said the Commission on Monday in a statement.

Treviño, who is a member of Mexico’s conservative National Action Party (PAN), ranted about the car traffic jam caused by people that wanted to see Ronaldinho in his debut match with Mexican team Querétaro last Friday.

“I’m trying to be tolerant, but I hate football and the idiotic phenomenon that it produces. I hate it even more because people overrun the streets, arriving to my home took me two hours, and all [this] just to see an ape. He may be Brazilian, but he’s still an ape,” wrote Treviño on Saturday.

Querétaro is a small Mexican team that plays in the central area of the country and that signed Ronaldinho during the summer. The team denounced Treviño’s comment on Sunday night and asked Mexican authorities to take legal measures against the politician.

“Racism, xenophobia, gender inequality, and other discriminatory practices are a form of violence that we must eradicate as a society,” said the club statement.

Social media users began a campaign called #TodosSomosSimios (We are all apes) to support Ronaldinho and to condemn the politician’s declarations.

Even Treviño’s party members rejected his Facebook post. José Luis Báez, PAN’s director in the state of Querétaro, said he will ask that Treviño be expelled from the party.

Treviño apologized to the Brazilian player and his supporters trough an open letter.

“I am aware that my words offended a lot of people. I offer a public apology to Mr. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, Ronaldinho, who I hope with all my heart will forgive me for the tremendous mistake I made, and from which I am truly sorry,” wrote Treviño in his letter.

From teleSUR

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