Last week, Chile’s president, Sebastian Pinera, was at the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump. During a photo-op in the oval office, Pinera held up a printout of the American flag. Outlining one white star and a pair of red and white stripes, he had managed to draw a smaller, Chilean flag inside of it.
“Chile is at the heart of the United States,” Pinera explained, with a smile. “And the best proof of this: This is the American flag, and there is a Chilean flag right at the very heart of the US flag.”
It was supposed to be a cute gesture of camaraderie as the two leaders discussed more serious issues, like trade and the crisis in Venezuela. But Chileans back home were rolling their eyes. Pinera’s printout only worked because the red and white stripes on the American flag had been flipped out of order. Critics were quick to let him know.