IBOV 185,188.13 ▼ 0.01% IPSA 11,315.26 ▼ 1.14% IPC MEX 65,473.16 ▲ 0.91% MERVAL 3,058,093 ▼ 1.55% COLCAP 2,534.46 ▲ 1.81% BVL PERÚ 59,719.97 ▲ 0.43% USD/BRL5.10▲ 0.17% USD/MXN16.92▼ 0.32% USD/CLP930.46▼ 0.76% USD/COP3,143▼ 0.83% USD/PEN3.36▼ 0.17% USD/ARS1,508▼ 0.17% USD/UYU40.23▲ 1.13% USD/PYG5,924▲ 2.31% USD/BOB12.30▲ 4.75% USD/DOP58.65▲ 0.17% USD/CRC447.49▲ 1.34% USD/GTQ7.63▲ 2.30% USD/HNL26.84▲ 1.66% USD/NIO36.62▲ 0.71% USD/VES802.80▼ 0.13% USD/PAB1.00— 0.00% USD/BZD2.00— 0.00% USD/JMD 157.28 — 0.00% USD/TTD6.65▲ 0.05% EUR/BRL5.93▼ 0.67% BRENT 88.88 ▼ 0.03% WTI 83.11 ▼ 0.11% IRON ORE 161.91 — — COPPER 6.61 ▲ 0.03% GOLD 4,461 ▲ 1.78% SILVER 65.59 ▲ 1.26% SOY 1,184 ▲ 3.20% CORN 480.50 ▲ 10.02% WHEAT 655.00 ▲ 3.93% COFFEE 317.25 ▼ 5.51% SUGAR 16.43 ▼ 1.79% ORANGE JUICE 138.55 ▼ 0.47% COTTON 85.03 ▲ 2.33% COCOA 5,719 ▲ 3.18% BEEF 223.60 ▼ 3.93% CATTLE 339.10 ▼ 3.16% LITHIUM 75.20 ▲ 1.47% PETR4 41.64 ▼ 0.05% VALE3 72.97 ▲ 0.83% ITUB4 38.60 ▼ 1.03% BBDC4 16.85 ▲ 0.36% ABEV3 14.89 ▼ 0.80% BBAS3 19.37 ▲ 0.47% B3SA3 14.26 ▼ 0.21% WEGE3 47.59 ▲ 0.49% PRIO3 59.14 ▼ 0.19% SUZB3 41.33 ▲ 2.35% RENT3 34.68 ▼ 0.09% AZZA3 15.89 ▼ 2.63% CSAN3 3.22 ▼ 1.83% RAIZ4 0.25 — 0.00% PCAR3 2.75 ▼ 0.36% GMAT3 3.65 ▼ 1.08% PSSA3 48.13 ▼ 0.54% CVCB3 1.33 ▼ 2.92% POSI3 3.36 ▲ 2.44% SLCE3 13.34 ▲ 0.30% NATU3 8.14 ▼ 0.73% IBOV 185,188.13 ▼ 0.01% IPSA 11,315.26 ▼ 1.14% IPC MEX 65,473.16 ▲ 0.91% MERVAL 3,058,093 ▼ 1.55% COLCAP 2,534.46 ▲ 1.81% BVL PERÚ 59,719.97 ▲ 0.43% USD/BRL 5.16 ▲ 0.01% USD/MXN 17.06 ▼ 0.24% USD/CLP 913.98 ▲ 0.04% USD/COP 3,140 ▲ 0.03% USD/PEN 3.36 ▼ 0.66% USD/ARS 1,493 ▲ 0.10% USD/UYU 40.27 ▲ 1.24% USD/PYG 5,939 ▲ 1.68% USD/BOB 11.64 ▼ 0.76% USD/DOP 58.34 ▲ 1.25% USD/CRC 445.92 ▲ 0.89% USD/GTQ 7.62 ▲ 2.21% USD/HNL 26.79 ▲ 1.57% USD/NIO 36.62 ▲ 0.69% USD/VES 762.44 ▼ 0.13% USD/PAB 1.00 — 0.00% USD/BZD 2.00 — 0.00% USD/JMD 157.28 — 0.00% USD/TTD 6.70 ▲ 0.61% EUR/BRL 5.95 ▲ 1.01% BRENT 88.88 ▼ 0.03% WTI 83.11 ▼ 0.11% IRON ORE 161.91 — — COPPER 6.61 ▲ 0.03% GOLD 4,461 ▲ 1.78% SILVER 65.59 ▲ 1.26% SOY 1,184 ▲ 3.20% CORN 480.50 ▲ 10.02% WHEAT 655.00 ▲ 3.93% COFFEE 317.25 ▼ 5.51% SUGAR 16.43 ▼ 1.79% ORANGE JUICE 138.55 ▼ 0.47% COTTON 85.03 ▲ 2.33% COCOA 5,719 ▲ 3.18% BEEF 223.60 ▼ 3.93% CATTLE 339.10 ▼ 3.16% LITHIUM 75.20 ▲ 1.47% PETR4 41.64 ▼ 0.05% VALE3 72.97 ▲ 0.83% ITUB4 38.60 ▼ 1.03% BBDC4 16.85 ▲ 0.36% ABEV3 14.89 ▼ 0.80% BBAS3 19.37 ▲ 0.47% B3SA3 14.26 ▼ 0.21% WEGE3 47.59 ▲ 0.49% PRIO3 59.14 ▼ 0.19% SUZB3 41.33 ▲ 2.35% RENT3 34.68 ▼ 0.09% AZZA3 15.89 ▼ 2.63% CSAN3 3.22 ▼ 1.83% RAIZ4 0.25 — 0.00% PCAR3 2.75 ▼ 0.36% GMAT3 3.65 ▼ 1.08% PSSA3 48.13 ▼ 0.54% CVCB3 1.33 ▼ 2.92% POSI3 3.36 ▲ 2.44% SLCE3 13.34 ▲ 0.30% NATU3 8.14 ▼ 0.73%
since 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2026

Tourism “Ambassador” Calls Macron a “Chicken” and Brigitte a “Dragon”

By · September 1, 2019 · 3 min read

Daily Brief

The morning intel from across Latin America. Free.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We never share your email.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Appointed “international tourism ambassador” by the Brazilian Tourist Board (EMBRATUR) on August 15th, jiu-jitsu instructor and businessman Renzo Gracie published attacks on French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. Macron is on a collision course with President Jair Bolsonaro over the environmental crisis in the Amazon.

Jiu-Jitsu instructor and businessman Renzo Gracie (right) was appointed "international tourism ambassador" by the Brazilian Tourist Board (EMBRATUR) on August 15th.
Jiu-Jitsu instructor and businessman Renzo Gracie (right) was appointed “international tourism ambassador” by the Brazilian Tourist Board (EMBRATUR) on August 15th. (Photo: internet reproduction)
One-stop reference
Company Intelligence
Every listed company in Latin America — financials, ownership and structure for 1,450+ companies across 26 exchanges, in one place.
Browse the directory →
RT
Ask Rio Times
This story and the bigger picture.
Open the full Ask Rio Times →

In a video distributed on social media, Renzo calls the French president a “clown” and says he has a “chicken neck”. The businessman, who has already been part of a live broadcast with Bolsonaro, has also minimized the fires in the Amazon forest and said that “the only fire there is lies within the hearts of Brazilians and of our president”.

“Macron… I’m sorry, Micron, Micron. My brother, you’re badmouthing my country. The only fire there is lies within the hearts of Brazilians and of our president, you clown. Come over here and you’ll get that chicken neck of yours squeezed. You don’t fool me, man.” says Renzo Gracie in the recording.

In contact with the report, Renzo said he was on an EMBRATUR’s working mission with businessmen, politicians, and diplomats in Miami, when he heard the criticism made by Macron to Brazilian environmental policy. He decided to “vent” against what he considers negative propaganda of Brazil.

“I was with the American Airlines staff, and the guy was checking how many passengers were going to Brazil and there was this absurd decline, a lot of people canceling the trip because of this fake fire,” he said, claiming to have offered Bolsonaro satellite data showing that the fires in the Amazon are at normal level.

“This gang of clowns only opens their mouths to speak ill of our country,” said the tourism ambassador, referring to Macron. “Of course a lot of people will be astonished, they will think that I called him a chicken because his honesty is doubtful, but not so. I’ve met many gay men more masculine than this imbecile.”

Renzo Gracie, the owner of an important network of gyms in New York, has been a great supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro.
Renzo Gracie, the owner of an important network of gyms in New York, has been a great supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro. (Photo: internet reproduction)

Renzo has also been sharing memes and jokes among his contacts with derogatory comments about Brigitte Macron, the French president’s wife, who was insulted on Bolsonaro’s Facebook page. To the report he reaffirmed the jokes’ content:

“I’ll ask you a question, is his wife pretty or ugly? Would you pick her up? If you badmouth our country, get ready to hear a lot of nonsense, and also about your relatives. The fact that he’s sleeping with a dragon doesn’t make him an expert on fire. She’s ugly, bro,” Renzo said.

The comments on the French first lady’s appearance have sparked a wave of solidarity on social media, and she responded by thanking them last Thursday.

Renzo Gracie, the owner of a large network of gyms in New York, has been a great supporter of the president and has already said that he will be joining him on a trip to the United Arab Emirates, in October. Renzo also has gyms in Brazil.

Together with the president of EMBRATUR, Gilson Machado Neto, in the United States, he says he earns nothing for public relations work with entrepreneurs and foreign politicians. “I don’t want a penny from the government, I’m paying for everything from my own pocket because I believe in Bolsonaro. Finally, we have a president who says what needs to be said. Better a man saying what he says than twenty intellectuals sitting there,” he said.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error

Read More from The Rio Times

The Rio Times · Power Map
See who really holds power in Latin America
Click to open the Power Map

Rotate for Best Experience

This report is optimized for landscape viewing. Rotate your phone for the full experience.