November 15, 2007
King Juan Carlos losing his temper a big hit on YouTube
Five words – “Why don’t you shut up!” - have catapulted King Juan Carlos, the Spanish monarch, to internet stardom, and driven Spain’s relations with Latin America to a new low, according to the FT.
"The king’s outburst was directed against Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela, at a summit of Latin American and Iberian leaders in Chile last weekend. In his concluding remarks, Mr Chávez called José María Aznar, Spain’s former prime minister, a “fascist”. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain’s current prime minister, interrupted Mr Chávez to demand “respect for a man who was elected by the people of Spain”, but Mr Chávez ignored him and continued insulting Mr Aznar.
That was when King Juan Carlos lost his regal composure. “Por qué no te callas!” he exclaimed, leaning forward and jabbing his finger at the Venezuelan leader. A few minutes later, the visibly exasperated monarch walked out of the summit.
The unprecedented spectacle of King Juan Carlos losing his temper is a big hit on YouTube this week. “Por qué no te callas!” has also become a popular ring-tone for mobile phones in Spain as well as a rallying cry for Mr Chávez’s opponents in Venezuela."
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