Colombia's president mocked for using aide as a laptop stand
The staffer was seen lying on the floor beside Gustavo Petro, with his arm in the air, holding up the laptop for the president to refer to during his speech.
Filmed on a smartphone and shared on social media, the moment prompted mockery of the president online for using a 'human tripod'.
In one reaction video, Right-wing podcasters fell about with laughter as they noted the irony of the Left-wing president referencing anti-slavery policies in his speech.
The full official footage was posted online by the president's own office.
Many in the audience appeared to have been preoccupied with their phones during the nearly two-and-a-half-hour speech. At least two audience members could be seen sitting on the floor in the middle of the auditorium.
Nor did anyone in the room seem surprised when the aide proceeded to take a prone position an hour and a half into the speech, and Mr Petro appears to make no secret of the task he has handed to his staffer.
The aide appeared by Mr Petro's side during a portion of the address in which he referred to a series of slides displaying various graphs regarding proposed healthcare reforms.
He was seen gesturing at the laptop and leaning in to take a closer look at the data on the screen. The aide's face appeared occasionally over the top of the desk.
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