A Mexican man caught making an offensive gesture during a World Cup match between South Korea and Czech Republic has lost his job after being accused of racism.
A Korean Youtuber was filming a video during the match in the city of Guadalajara on Friday when the man seated behind her, later identified as Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, looked directly into the camera and pulled the corners of both his eyes in a gesture widely regarded as racist and insulting towards people of Asian descent.
The Youtuber Yoon Su Jin, who also goes by the name Ino Cat, later posted the video on her Instagram. “You travelled across the world for the World Cup,” she wrote, “and experienced racism.”
The video was liked by 511,000 people by last count and commented upon 66,000 times.
“Ugh so terrible,” one user commented. “And then he laughs like he cracked the best joke.”
“As a Mexican, I feel very sorry for this situation, and I offer you my sincerest apologies,” another noted.
After the video went viral, Mr Bernal, president of the College of Geomatics and Topographic Surveying Engineers of the State of Jalisco, commonly known as Citgej, apologised for his behaviour.
“I sincerely regret everything this situation has caused. I have taken time to reflect on what happened and I understand the responsibility I’ve in this moment,” he said, adding that he did not want to justify himself nor debate different interpretations.
“Throughout my personal and professional life, I’ve always tried to treat others with respect and I will continue working to ensure that my actions consistently reflect those values,” he added.
Citgej, a professional association of engineers specialising in surveying, mapping and measuring land, issued a statement saying that they “deeply regret” the incident and had launched an internal review.
The association later confirmed that Mr Bernal had been removed from his position.
“In accordance with our statutes and regulations, the matter will be reviewed through the corresponding internal mechanisms,” Citgej’s board of directors said in a statement.
The guild stressed that it was committed to “promoting a culture of respect, hospitality, and healthy coexistence for all people”.
