Greta Thunberg is a 16 year-old environmental activist that has a habit of getting under the skin of world leaders with less than stellar records for their environmental policies.
Previously having drawn the ire of Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump, Thunberg is now the target of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro.
After Bolsonaro was asked about the murders of two Indigenous activists who were killed trying to protect the Brazilian rainforest from illegal logging, the South American President stated in reference to Thunberg:
"It is staggering, the amount of coverage the press gives that brat."
In response to the latest insult from an adult, male world leader, the teenage girl handled it the way she had all the other slights.
Thunberg updated her Twitter bio.
The description in her bio was changed to a single word:
"Pirralha"
@GretaThunberg/Twitter
For those who don't speak Portuguese—the official and national language of Brazil—the word pirralha means brat.
Thunberg handled the insults from Putin and Trump in a similar manner.
People made connections between the group of men who target Thunberg.
After Thunberg updated her status to reflect the insults of Putin and Trump, she eventually switched back to her regular bio. But for now, Thunberg is willing to wear the title of "brat" for raising awareness about the murders of Indigenous people fighting against the illegal logging and mining that Bolsonaro's administration turns a blind eye to.
The day after her response, Thunberg was named Time Magazine's person of the year.
Thunberg's book, No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference, is available here.
