Hundreds have shared, liked, and commented on the image purporting to show Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa kissing the hand of Angolan President João Lourenço, an image generated by Artificial Intelligence based on photos from 2019.
Claim: “The African communist dictator insulted the Portuguese and the Belém clown still kisses his hand”
Since Sunday, November 16, a supposed photograph of Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa kissing the hand of his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço has been circulating, allegedly taken during the recent visit of the Portuguese head of state to Angola for the 50th anniversary of that African Portuguese-speaking country’s independence.
The origin of the image is unclear, but it has already garnered thousands of views, likes, comments, and shares on X (formerly Twitter) in critical posts, although some accounts question whether it is a real photo or manipulated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“With this fool, you never know if it’s AI or real. The line between the ridiculous and reality is very thin,” writes one account, while another remains doubtful: “This is artificial intelligence, right? Marcelo didn’t go to Angola to kiss the man’s hand, did he?”
The topic has also reached the blogosphere, with comments stating that “the African communist dictator insulted the Portuguese and the Belém clown still kisses his hand,” and by early afternoon today, a clearly fake video generated by X’s AI engine, Grok, from the same image began circulating.
Facts: Grok provided misleading information; the image is AI-generated
Some users attempted to verify the image using the same Grok, receiving “confirmation” of its authenticity.
“Yes, the photo is real and depicts Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal, kissing the hand of João Lourenço, President of Angola, as a courtesy gesture during an official meeting. This type of salutation, although traditional in formal contexts, drew criticism for appearing subservient in bilateral relations. There is no evidence of image manipulation,” Grok stated in at least two similar responses.
However, a fact-check by Lusa Verifica revealed that Grok is incorrect and the image is not real. Reverse searches using Google Lens or Google Fact Check Explorer show that the alleged photo cannot be found on official pages or media outlets, existing only on social media since last Sunday.
Another important indicator is the presence of other photographs with the same framing, but without the alleged hand-kissing. These are photos taken by João Relvas of Lusa agency during another official visit of the Portuguese head of state to Angola in March 2019.
In one of the photos, with a similar framing to the circulating one, the two heads of state can be seen greeting each other in front of the Angolan Presidential Palace, and in another, João Lourenço is observed giving way to the Portuguese president.
Comparing these two Lusa photographs with the circulating image, it becomes apparent that there are elements not present in reality, such as the lamp on the outer wall between the two arches or the window behind the Angolan president.
The Lusa photos from this and other visits show that the space between the arches is occupied by the base of one of the two flagpoles on that facade, with no lamp present.
This is also evident in the Portuguese Presidency’s photo gallery of that 2019 visit, particularly in these two photos where these details are clear, as well as the absence of a second window under the arches.
If there were any remaining doubts, videos of that ceremony do not record any hand-kissing by the Portuguese president.
+++ Lusa Verifica Assessment: False +++
It is false that Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa bent to kiss the hands of Angolan President João Lourenço during the recent visit to Angola or the visit in 2019. The alleged photo circulating on social media was generated by AI from an altered archive photo of the official visit in March 2019.
