Last Tuesday, after Japan defeated Colombia 2–1 in their World Cup match, two Colombian fans recorded a video of them forcing unknowing Japanese female fans to say “I'm a whore” in Spanish.
In the video, which was shot outside Mordovia Arena, where the match took place, a Colombia supporter can be seen recording himself encouraging two Japanese women to repeat demeaning Spanish phrases after him.
He first makes one woman – who does not appear to speak or understand Spanish – say the final score of the match, before making her repeat “Yo soy perra” — which translates to “I am a bitch” — after him, without explaining the meaning of the words.
The man also makes the woman repeat “mas puta” after him, which translates to “very slutty.”
In another video, the same man can be seen recording himself encouraging two Japanese men who do not speak Spanish to say "yo soy cachorro," which translates to "I am a dog" and is a phrase colloquially used to mean a guy who will cheat or sleep around.
The videos were shared across social media, with several tweets going viral.
Colombians were furious and shared how it made them feel ashamed of their people and country.
"This is a true shame. Hopefully the Embassy of Japan in Colombia will demand from the government the identity of this citizen who went to misbehave in Russia. The world is going to see the rot that there is in these mortals."
"Foreign embarrassment, and later they ask us why in other countries they see us as a plague."
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"What filth, and the Japanese are the most educated and respectful in the world. Their highest virtue is trust. So much confidence in this scum."
It sparked so much outrage that Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted to condemn the act, saying that it “does not represent our culture, our language, and our race.”
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Such behavior "not only degrades the woman, but insults other cultures, our language, and our country," the Colombian ministry tweeted.
The man, who has been reportedly been identified as 40-year-old Guillermo Morales, told local media that his actions were the result of his “frustration and mixed feelings” after the Colombian team’s defeat, and that he “did not intend to offend or take advantage of the women.”
Morales said that he had sent the video to his friends as a joke but did not know that they would be sharing it online.
He also offered a public apology to the women and Japanese people.
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After the news was reported by BuzzFeed Japan, several Colombians tweeted their apologies on behalf of Morales.
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