Bolsonaro has accused UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, of "meddling in the sovereign internal affairs" of his country, in a tweet accompanied by a photo where the former Chilean president is captured along with former Argentinian President Cristina Fernández and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
"Michelle Bachelet, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, following Macron's line in meddling in domestic affairs and Brazilian sovereignty, attacks Brazil on the (bandit) human rights agenda, attacking our valiant civil and military police", he said in a tweet.
- Michelle Bachelet, Comissária dos Direitos Humanos da ONU, seguindo a linha do Macron em se intrometer nos assuntos internos e na soberania brasileira, investe contra o Brasil na agenda de direitos humanos (de bandidos), atacando nossos valorosos policiais civis e militares. pic.twitter.com/0WT7vxgN9R
— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) September 4, 2019
The statement comes amid Bolsonaro’s spat with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who the Brazilian leader accused of having colonialist ambitions. Bolsonaro has also made fun of Macron’s wife on social media and claimed that Europe wanted the Amazon's resources for itself. Macron, for his part, has criticized Bolsonaro for failing to meet commitments to fight climate change.
The Amazon rainforest in Brazil and neighbouring states have been facing a record number of fires for several weeks. Environmentalists have reportedly accused "pro-business Bolsonaro" of encouraging farmers, miners, and loggers to set fires in an effort to unlock natural reserves.
