The phrase es un chiste comes from a recorded remark by Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, who used it while laughing at jokes attributed to Colombia. The short laugh was clipped from political coverage and began circulating as a WhatsApp audio and soundboard meme across Spanish speaking social media. Its appeal is political as much as comedic, letting users answer news, speeches or everyday jokes with a leader's dismissive laughter, which keeps it in rotation for reaction edits and parodies.