The Colombian President faced a backlash after using an assistant as a human laptop stand during a speech.

President Gustavo Petro, 65, was delivering a speech on health reforms at the National Capitol building in central Bogota on July 20, during the opening of Congress for the start of the new parliamentary year, when the incident occurred.

Footage shows him speaking while an arm - holding a laptop so he could view the screen - is visible to his right. The assistant remains out of sight, with only their arm and the device appearing in frame.

Local media reported that some accused the president of acting like a 'slave owner' by using a 'human tripod' during the speech, which reportedly lasted over two hours.

One local said: 'Was it hard to set a table? Disgraceful.'

Another one added: 'This is the same gentleman who promises to improve the quality of life of all Colombian workers.'

While some defended the president, arguing that the focus should remain on the content of his health reform proposals, others maintained that the optics of the incident undermined the dignity of public service roles.