Bolivian President Luis Arce strongly rejected the “racist and xenophobic” comments made by Chilean Congresswoman María Luisa Cordero, a psychiatrist by profession.

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In a session of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, Cordero stated that Bolivians suffer from “hypoxic encephalopathy” (a brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain) due to altitude, which is why she claimed they suffer from “chronic stupidity.”

In an official statement, Bolivian President Luis Arce condemned the Congresswoman’s statements, calling them an “affront” to Parliament and the Chilean people, as well as to the ethics of the medical profession.

The president also instructed the Bolivian Foreign Ministry to take “appropriate actions” through established diplomatic channels to resolve the controversy.

Several Bolivian political figures also spoke out against Cordero’s remarks. Former Government Minister Eduardo del Castillo called the comments an insult to the entire Bolivian people.

Businessman and former presidential candidate Samuel Doria Medina vehemently rejected the statements, calling them “racist stupidity.”

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