French First Lady is indeed ugly: Brazil Min

Brasilia: Brazil's Economy Minister Paulo Guedes has said that the French First Lady is "indeed ugly",

days after the country's President Jair Bolsonaro made insulting comments on her appearance.

In a speech to businessmen in the northeastern city of Fortaleza on Thursday, Guedes complained about the media coverage

of the Bolsonaro administration, arguing that they prefer to report on the President's comments rather than the country's progress.

"What I see in the newspapers is that he insulted (French First Lady Michelle) Bachelet, or that he called (French President Emmanuel) Macron's wife ugly.

"He did say that and it's true - the woman is indeed ugly," he said, prompting laughter in the audience.

"There's no such thing as an ugly woman, there's only women seen from the wrong angle," the Minister added.

Guedes later apologized for what he called a "joke" involving Brigitte Macron, media reports said.

"The Minister's intention was to show that relevant and urgent issues for the country don't receive the space they deserve in the public debate," read his statement to the press.

"There was no intention to express personal offences."

The incident came amid the spat between Macron and Bolsanero over Brazil's treatment of the fires burning in the Amazon.