Maduro's sweatsuit and the triumph of the poor image'

"The photo had all the makings of a meme: terrible framing, poor resolution, a recognizable consumer item, and a subject striking an odd pose. Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima, Donald Trump wrote when he shared it last Saturday on his social media platform, Truth Social. The snapshot, which would go viral in seconds, graphically confirmed the capture of the Venezuelan leader. It was a historic image, and anything but innocent."

"Dressed in a gray Nike tracksuit, Maduro is seen standing, immobilized by handcuffs and unable to see or hear due to a blindfold and noise-canceling earplugs. This vulnerable and helpless pose of the Venezuelan leader sought the same effect as the viral photos of other imprisoned leaders in the internet age. Fallen men, weak men: men stripped of all power. Maduro's image is reminiscent of Saddam Hussein's capture in 2003: disheveled, his beard caked with dirt, lying on the ground,"

The sports outfit that the Venezuelan leader wore at the time of his capture became prominent and a source of satirical material. Donald Trump shared a photograph on Truth Social showing Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima, and the image quickly went viral. The photo's framing, resolution and visible consumer item gave it meme qualities and visually confirmed the capture. Maduro appears in a gray Nike tracksuit, handcuffed, blindfolded and wearing noise-canceling earplugs. The pose communicates vulnerability and evokes earlier viral images of detained leaders, recalling comparisons to Saddam Hussein's 2003 capture and graphic images tied to the bin Laden operation.

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