An Argentinian journalist and host, Santiago Cúneo, drank champagne on live TV to toast the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
The news of the monarch’s passing came when Cúneo was hosting a TV show. He declared joyfully while he was on air that “the old b–ch has died,” NY Post reported.
Video of Santiago Cúneo toasting the Queen’s death on live TV goes viral
A clip of the show went viral on social media. In the video, the host is surrounded by white and blue balloons that represent Argentina’s flag colors.
Cúneo can be seen pouring some champagne and eating finger sandwiches. He scorned the death of the British monarch and said, “She’s done for good.” “Loud applause for Satan who has finally taken her,” he added.
"Cuneo":
Por sus comentarios sobre el fallecimiento de la reina Isabel II pic.twitter.com/OPM238Bf8G— ¿Por qué es tendencia? (@porquetendencia) September 8, 2022
The journalist’s reaction is a statement of anti-British hostility in Argentina, resulting from the 1982 Falklands War. This is when Britain’s government assigned a naval task force to regain authority over the Falkland Islands after the invasion of Argentina.
However, past resentment aside, Argentina’s government officially mourned the Queen’s death. The government posted that they “accompany the British people and her family in this moment of grief,” reported NY Post.
Cúneo is also a politician. He is a member of the ruling Justicialist Party in Argentina and has landed in controversy before.
In 2018 he was accused of discussing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. He was soon terminated by the cable news channel Cronica TV. The theories included an alleged plot to create a separate Jewish state in parts of Argentina and Chile.
Mockery of Queen’s death
While politicians around the globe posted their condolences to the British royal family, and others paid their tribute to the monarch, there were some who mocked her passing. There have been several memes and humorous posts on social media as a collective anti-British expression as well as their disdain for imperialism.
Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos, one of the world’s richest people, slammed a Carnegie Mellon professor. She had tweeted that she hoped the Queen had an “excruciating” death, giving the example of British colonialism in third-world countries.