taking possession of Gustavo Petro As president of Colombia, last Sunday, August 7, he gave all sectors of Colombian society something to talk about. Situations such as that of María José Pizarro —daughter of the murdered M-19 leader Carlos Pizarro— putting the presidential sash on the president, the political messages on the clothing of those attending the event, the cultural display that took place throughout the country, among others were the aspects that stood out during the ceremony.
But, definitely, one of the moments that marked this swearing-in was the presence of the King of Spain, Felipe VIand his reaction to the transfer of the Simon Bolivar’s sword towards the proscenium.
Most of the attending leaders and representatives from different countries in Latin America and the world stood up and applauded before the arrival of the Colombian national symbol at Plaza Bolívar. But that was not the case for the Spanish monarch, who remained seated.
This inaction drew criticism, mainly from spain. For example, the founder of the Podemos political party, Pablo Iglesias pointed out the gesture as a “lack of respect for a symbol of freedom in Latin America.”
Still, in Colombia The situation was taken with grace and derision, giving free rein to a lot of memes and reactions on social networks.