Poverty-stricken Venezuelans have reacted furiously after president Nicolas Maduro was filmed eating expensive steak served by celebrity chef Salt Bae.
Salt Bae, real name Nusret Gokce, is known for his videos in which he flamboyantly slices meat before theatrically sprinkling salt over it.
He has served A-list stars ranging from David Beckham to Drake at his restaurants, which charge several hundred pounds for some cuts of meat.
But after he fed Venezuelan president Mr Maduro at his Istanbul restaurant and posted the moment on Instagram and Twitter, it drew a furore in the South American country where 87 per cent of people live in poverty and there are regular food shortages.
Venezuela's political opposition jumped on the meal as evidence of the president’s disconnect from the country's food crisis, which has caused over two million people to emigrate.
Opposition leader Julio Borges tweeted: "While Venezuelans suffer and die of hunger, Nicolas Maduro and Cilia [his wife] enjoy one of the priciest restaurants in the world, all with money stolen from the Venezuelan people.”
Salt Bae also faced a backlash, and later deleted the videos from his social media channels.
In one, Maduro told his fellow diners "this is a once in a lifetime moment" as Salt Bae dramatically sliced his steak while swaying his hips.
Venezuelans responded by sharing mocked-up images of Salt Bae doing his trademark salt sprinkle pose above a skeletal child.
President Maduro had stopped at the restaurant on the way back from Beijing, where he had travelled in the hope of securing fresh funds for his cash-starved socialist government.
Additional reporting by Reuters.
