New York: El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele took a selfie before his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which he called “obsolete” and suggested scrapping.
In a dark suit and no tie, his hair slicked back in his signature style, the 38-year-old thanked the other leaders present and said he especially wanted to greet his wife and baby daughter sitting in the gallery.
“If you’ll just bear with me a second,” he then added, pulling out his iPhone 11, lifting it up to his grinning face and snapping a photo he later posted on Twitter to his 1.1 million followers.
“Believe me, many more people will see that selfie when I share it than will listen to this speech — I hope I took a good one.”
“A couple of images on Instagram can have more impact than any speech delivered in this assembly,” he said, quipping that the annual summit of the world’s leaders could be done by video-conference.
The conservative businessman and former mayor of the capital San Salvador was sworn into office in June in the small Central American country of 6.6 million people, tasked with turning around grinding poverty and rampant gang violence that are sending thousands fleeing to the United States.
He traded on his telegenic looks and promises of a break with the past, but critics have called him light on policy and substance.
(Agencies)
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