Walter Finch
SPAIN’S famous viral waiter has caused a stir by serving a drink atop the Rock of Gibraltar to a man draped in the Spanish flag.
Sevillano Crisitian Ventura, who has become a TikTok star by filming himself serving drinks from a tray, served fellow online meme and foodie Alex Bernal, who savours it while looking out wistfully at the Rock.
He filmed himself, dressed in a blue suit striding through the border entry point with the tray balanced on one hand.
He then enters the Landport Tunnel, strolls past a red telephone box on Main Street, up to the cable car where nonchalantly climbs onto a car to the bemused looks from the tourists.
At the top he gets off, ascends a spiral staircase past some Gibraltar monkeys – excusing himself as he passes – to the mirador.
He speaks his signature line con permiso, buenas tardes (if I may, good afternoon), serves the drink, and exits camera as Bernal stairs out at the Rock with the Spanish flag fluttering.
All accompanied by the dulcet tones of Nino Bravo, the video has been met with approval by Spanish netizens in what appears to be coordinated, inauthentic behaviour.
“It’s important that our influencers and public figures defend what is ours,” appeared in many different X accounts.
Various other accounts repeat: “That’s great! Cristian Venturas, the most popular waiter on TikTok, joins the fight to recover Gibraltar. Long live Spain!”
The furore over Gibraltar was reignited by the recent encounter between Spain and England in the final of Euro 2024.
After their victory, the Spanish football players started singing Gibraltar español (Gibraltar is Spanish) with the huge crowds in Madrid enthusiastically joining in.
A poll conducted by a Spanish television channel found 54% of the country approves of the song – especially on the far-right.
The provocative and politically charged chants caused a diplomatic firestorm, with the Gibraltar FA officially complaining to UEFA.
Spanish stars Rodri and Alvaro Morata were later charged by the sports European governing body with four separate charges.
They include violating the rules of decent conduct, using the sport to make a political statement and bringing the game into disrepute.
Two more monkeys on the rock.