Falconetti blesses a baby in Spain's Canary Islands: the photo setting social media alight
An image of Falconetti blessing a baby in the Canary Islands has sparked outrage and conspiracy theories. Deliberate provocation or innocent gesture?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Falconetti imitates the Pope and 'blesses' a baby in the Canary Islands: the photo sparking fury
A picture is worth a thousand tweets. The snapshot of Antonio Falconetti, a well-known figure in Spanish politics, pretending to bless a baby at an event in the Canary Islands has triggered a flood of criticism on social media. The gesture, which many interpret as a parody of the papal blessing, has been branded "reckless" and "blasphemous" by the sharpest-tongued commentators.
The scene, whose composition recalls a Velázquez painting, shows Falconetti with his hand raised while a mother holds the child in her arms. Behind them, a selfie by Mena and the party member Charo in a red T-shirt complete the picture. "The baby can't talk yet, but if he could, he wouldn't lie," reads one analysis circulating online.
An innocent gesture or calculated provocation?
The reactions were not long in coming. While some joke that Falconetti "already smells his own saintliness", others go further and compare him to the Antichrist or the "Vicar of Pazuzu". The theory that the baby could be the politician's dose of adrenochrome gives the debate a conspiratorial tone. "When he grows up, the kid will boo him," one user predicts.
The event, which took place in the Canary archipelago, has peine the debate about the limits of political staging. The official image, which some dub "Canogiga" — a hybrid of Canarias and giga — has, according to unconfirmed reports, been authorised by the Holy See and Moncloa (the Spanish prime minister's office). The baby's mother appears ecstatic before the "beloved leader of this regime", in reference to the Spanish prime minister.
The puzzling detail
The curious thing about the case is that, despite the scandal, no party has wanted to publicly distance itself. The silence of the opposition and of Falconetti himself fuels the suspicion that the controversy is orchestrated. How much is a political blessing worth? In campaign season, anything goes. But when the gesture looks more like a parody than an act of faith, the price may be the resentment of voters who do not forget.
Related discussions in the forum
A picture is worth a thousand tweets. The snapshot of Antonio Falconetti, a well-known figure in Spanish politics, pretending to bless a baby at an event in the Canary Islands has triggered a flood of criticism on social media. The gesture, which many interpret as a parody of the papal blessing, has been branded "reckless" and "blasphemous" by the sharpest-tongued commentators.
The scene, whose composition recalls a Velázquez painting, shows Falconetti with his hand raised while a mother holds the child in her arms. Behind them, a selfie by Mena and the party member Charo in a red T-shirt complete the picture. "The baby can't talk yet, but if he could, he wouldn't lie," reads one analysis circulating online.
An innocent gesture or calculated provocation?
The reactions were not long in coming. While some joke that Falconetti "already smells his own saintliness", others go further and compare him to the Antichrist or the "Vicar of Pazuzu". The theory that the baby could be the politician's dose of adrenochrome gives the debate a conspiratorial tone. "When he grows up, the kid will boo him," one user predicts.
The event, which took place in the Canary archipelago, has peine the debate about the limits of political staging. The official image, which some dub "Canogiga" — a hybrid of Canarias and giga — has, according to unconfirmed reports, been authorised by the Holy See and Moncloa (the Spanish prime minister's office). The baby's mother appears ecstatic before the "beloved leader of this regime", in reference to the Spanish prime minister.
The puzzling detail
The curious thing about the case is that, despite the scandal, no party has wanted to publicly distance itself. The silence of the opposition and of Falconetti himself fuels the suspicion that the controversy is orchestrated. How much is a political blessing worth? In campaign season, anything goes. But when the gesture looks more like a parody than an act of faith, the price may be the resentment of voters who do not forget.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (39 replies).
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