New York, USA

The office of the Colombian president has been accused of stealing applause from US President Joe Biden’s address to the UN General Assembly.

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According to media reports, the Colombian government released a video of President Gustavo Petro’s speech at the UN, but it incorporated applause for Biden, who spoke at the UN moments before Petro.

It was manipulated to show the loud applause was directed at the Colombian leader, in a bid to boost claims that Petro’s views were vehemently supported by the international community.

The manipulation was first observed by the Colombian website La Silla Vacía.

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Divergence between Colombian govt's video and UN broadcast

It must be noted that Petro also received applause during his speech but it becomes a peculiar tale when we compare the final video snippet shared on the government's YouTube channel to the UN broadcast. 

The divergence between the two videos, one from the UN and the other released by the Colombian government, creates the illusion of a more resounding ovation applauding Petro's concluding words.

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Watch: Only 1 of the 5 key world leaders attend the UNGA event

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This recording sparked scepticism, drawing the scrutiny of both the online community and the press. This scepticism was fueled by the visible gaps in seating within the General Assembly during Petro's address.

Interestingly, the very same applause that seemingly celebrates Petro in the Colombian government's video resounds precisely at 1:52:39 in the official UN broadcast, but the UN video carries it at the end of US President Biden's address.

Also read: Colombian President Petro proposes Latin American alliance to combat drug trafficking

The UN video of Biden's speech also shows that three men in the seventh row stand up at the same time and that a woman walks towards the podium between the seats. And shockingly, the same scene also appeared in the video released by Colombia’s presidential office.

In a larger context, this year's annual convening of the UN General Assembly saw a gathering of global leaders from no less than 145 nations. Distinguished figures, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, US President Biden, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the meeting.

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