Dutch actress resigns UNICEF role Steps Down After Tweeting Offensive World Cup Meme That Enraged Colombians

It seems like people should learn that social media is a public forum, or maybe people should learn to not be ignorant and offensive. But alas in the heat of the World Cup tournament in Brazil, a football fan has gone over the line and literally enraged an entire nation. Nicolette Van Dam, a UNICEF Ambassador, actress and mother from the Netherlands has become the subject of outrage due to a recent tweet sent out to her 259,000 followers today, ahead of the Colombia and Ivory Coast match  Instead of celebrating Colombia’s 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, Colombians are crying foul at the offensive tweet of an internet meme depicting Colombian soccer players snorting illicit substances.

“Ms. Van Dam  as a result, has resigned as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and regrets the message forwarded yesterday,” UNICEF’s Colombia office posted on its own Twitter page  The Internet produced image depicted two Colombian players snorting the lines of the soccer field, as they were sprayed by a referee. Following major backlash from both fans of the national team and simply Colombians in general, Van Dam resigned, stating she regretted her decision to send the tweet. Twitter/ Nicolette Van Dam

In a statement, the organization also offered its “most sincere apologies” to Colombian footballers Radamel Falcao Garcia and James Rodriguez, who were in the photo, for “the shameful and offensive post” from Van Dam.

Colombia had earlier demanded UNICEF sack the actress and model over the tweeted photo, in which the two players are prostrate on the football pitch and appear to snort the spray that World Cup referees are using to draw lines at free kicks, as if it were a line of cocaine.

The tweet, posted on Wednesday, has been deleted. It sparked outrage from Bogota and a torrent of indignation despite a new tweet in which Van Dam asked Colombians to accept her “sincere apologies.”

Colombia, is one of the world’s top producers of cocaine and coca, the leaf from which the narcotic is made.