Mr Gafo posted the abusive message after Catalan nationalists booed the Spanish national anthem during the opening ceremony of the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona.
By Saturday afternoon the 50year- old, who is a former ambassador to Lebanon, was attempting to backtrack on his comments in a series of follow-up tweets.
In reply to another Twitter user about his earlier posting, Mr Gafo wrote: “Total respect, but you gotta understand the anger when a world championship is inaugurated… I would never boo the Catalan anthem.”
He then added: “All I mean to say is that the anthem deserves respect. I would never boo the Catalan anthem; I was not referring to all Catalans, whom I fully respect.”
And in third and final contrite message he announced: “To all: I stand corrected. I got mad at hearing the Spanish anthem booed. That’s all. I have nothing against Catalonia or Catalans.”
But the damage had already been done despite Mr Gafo only having 40 Twitter followers, a retweet of his Catalan attack had made its way to the Foreign Ministry, which oversees Brand Spain.
After confirming the comments had been made, Foreign minister José Manuel Garcia-Margallo demanded Mr Gafo’s resignation.
Mr Garcia- Margallo said the offending tweet was “intolerable and incompatible with the spirit of Brand Spain”.
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