WINNIPEG – The Costa Rican Ambassador to Manitoba Brian Pallister was caught making offensive remarks towards indigenous people in Manitoba over nighttime hunting last week.
The Ambassador, who recently returned to Canada after a long visit in his native country, made the remarks last week to members of the Costa Rican Conservative Association.
“Young Indigenous men — a preponderance of them are offenders, with criminal records — are going off shooting guns in the middle of the night. It doesn’t make sense,” said the Ambassador before changing the subject to talk about international trade.
His remarks have caused a diplomatic row between Costa Rica and Manitoba.
Some have criticized Pallister’s lack of knowledge about Canada’s long history of colonization and racism towards indigenous people.
“I wish the Costa Rican government would have sent someone who knew something about Canada rather than just another political appointee,” said one indigenous activist. “I mean he doesn’t need to be the Premier to understand how ignorant his comment was.”
Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís has apologized for the remarks and has ordered Pallister back to Costa Rica to one of his three properties so he can think about what he did.
