An Argentinian television host uncorked a bottle of champagne and toasted the death of Queen Elizabeth II live on air on Thursday — happily declaring that “the old b–ch has died.”
Santiago Cúneo, a Buenos Aires-based politician and journalist, was hosting a TV show when Buckingham Palace announced the passing of the 96-year-old monarch.
In a clip of his show which went viral online, Cúneo is seen surrounded by white and blue balloons representing the colors of Argentina’s flag.
He pours himself some bubbly and starts eating finger sandwiches as the chyron flashes a message which reads: “The old bag of sh-t has died.”
Cúneo heaped scorn on the deceased British queen and celebrated her passing, saying that “the old b–ch has died.”
“She’s done for good,” he said on the air. “Loud applause for Satan who has finally taken her.”
The broadcaster’s outburst is an apparent expression of anti-British animus in Argentina, which stems largely from the 1982 Falklands War, when the UK dispatched a naval task force to retake control of the Falkland Islands after the Argentines invaded.
Despite the past grievances, Argentina’s government officially mourned the queen’s passing, saying that it “accompanies the British people and her family in this moment of grief.”
Cúneo, a member of the ruling Justicialist Party in Argentina, is no stranger to controversy.
In 2018, he was fired by the cable news channel Cronica TV after he was accused of spouting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including an alleged plot to create a Jewish state in parts of Argentina and Chile.
While some Twitter users laughed at Cúneo’s mockery of the queen’s death, others denounced him, saying that he does not represent Argentina.
“I am Argentinian and this guy doesn’t represent me. We are sorry for this loss,” a Twitter user wrote.
The queen’s death was met with mockery and glee elsewhere on social media where many Twitter users summoned their anti-British animus as well as their distaste for monarchies and royal families.
Jeff Bezos, the Amazon co-founder one of the world’s richest people, blasted a Carnegie Mellon professor who tweeted that she hoped the queen suffered an “excruciating” death, citing British colonialism in the developing world.