Mexican engineering guild chief Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes has been removed from his position after footage of him making a racist “slant-eye” gesture during a World Cup match sparked widespread backlash, according to media reports.
Bernal, president of the College of Geomatics and Topographic Surveying Engineers of Jalisco (CITGEJ), apologized publicly on Sunday (Jun 14) after a video circulated online showing him making the gesture behind a South Korean influencer during a match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara.
In a bilingual statement, Bernal acknowledged the backlash, saying that a video circulating online had “generated a wide range of reactions” and that he felt compelled to issue a formal apology.
Source: online
The incident reportedly took place last Thursday (Jun 11), when Korean content creator Yoon Su-jin, who has nearly nine million followers, was filming celebratory footage in the stands. In the clip, a man wearing a Mexico away jersey is seen behind her pulling at the corners of his eyes while looking toward the camera.
source: online
source: online
The gesture, widely recognized as a racist caricature of Asian features, quickly drew condemnation after the video was posted online. Korean social media users urged FIFA to respond, calling the act a “blatant racist gesture”, while the clip also circulated widely among Mexican and international audiences.
Local outlets later identified the man as Bernal. CITGEJ said on Saturday (Jun 13) that it had launched an internal review before confirming his removal from office in a statement. The organization said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident.
