The Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs summoned the French ambassador on Thursday to protest against the “unacceptable” remarks of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron was filmed calling Haitian leaders “completely stupid” as he spoke to a passerby about the current political and humanitarian situation in the Caribbean country.

In an official statement obtained by AFP, Haiti’s presidential transition council expressed its “indignation at what it considers to be unfriendly and inappropriate comments which deserve to be rectified.”

She added that she was filing an official protest with the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

What did Emmanuel Macron say?

At the center of the diplomatic row is a video taken Wednesday outside the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, in which President Macron called Haiti’s transition council “completely stupid” for dismissing the former Prime Minister earlier this month.

Speaking to a passerby, who French authorities said was a Haitian who had heckled Macron “insistently” and accused him and France “of being responsible for the situation in Haiti,” the president offered his frank view of the situation.

“Frankly, it was the Haitians who destroyed Haiti by allowing drug trafficking. And then what they did: the prime minister was superb, I defended him, (but) they fired him!” Macron said.

Macron was referring to former Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, who was dismissed on November 10 after just five months in the post, amid an escalating gang war in the country.

“It’s terrible, it’s terrible,” Macron said. “I can’t replace him. They are completely stupid. They should never have fired him. The prime minister has been great.”

Was anything else said?

According to the Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the French ambassador recognized that these comments were “unfortunate”.

Meanwhile, Antoine Leaument, French MP from the left-wing party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), condemned these comments on social networks.

“Shame on Macron. And what kind of language is this?” he said.

Survivor of gang violence in Haiti: ‘I have lost hope’

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Macron has yet to quantify his comments or apologize but, after traveling from Brazil to Chile, he appeared to adopt a more conciliatory tone.

“France will continue to provide support to the Haitian people and support all initiatives aimed at restoring security and paving the way for a stable political situation,” he declared before the Chilean National Congress in Valparaiso.

France has pledged 4 million euros ($4.2 million) to a United Nations fund to finance an under-resourced security mission in Haiti, as well as to fund French and Creole classes for troops of the UN.

“Haitians deserve it,” he said.

Haiti: a former French colony

President Macron’s off-the-cuff comments were not well received in Haiti, a former French colony whose population suffered from slavery and exploitation under imperial rule.

Haiti declared independence in 1804 but was obliged in 1825 to pay France “compensation” for lost property – including slaves.

Haiti’s independence debt, amounting to 150 million francs to be paid in five annual installments of 30 million each, is estimated to have cost Haiti approximately $560 million in modern currency.

How the West ruined Haiti

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Given the lack of investment in the Haitian economy, some activists have calculated figures higher than $100 billion.

There have been calls for France to pay reparations for imposing the debt, which many blame on Haiti’s economic and political troubles.

mf/zc (AFP, Reuters)