The mayor of a town in Mexico has come under fire from members of his community for deploying cutouts of himself at events that he can’t physically be present at.

Moisés Aguilar Torres, the mayor Pichuclaco, a town in the Mexican state of Chiapas, managed to outrage his constituents by sending a cutout of himself to a local health services event that he didn’t bother attending. Photos of actual attendees posing for pictures with Torres’ cardboard cutout have been doing the rounds on Mexican social media for days, sparking both criticism and hilarious comments.

Photo: Facebook

A former male nurse himself, the mayor reportedly disappointed local health services employees who attended the event hopes of meeting Aguilar Torres. Instead, they had to settle for photos with a cardboard cutout of him threateningly raising his right fist towards the sky. Any questions or requests had to be written down on pieces of paper and handed over to city hall employees.

Photo: Facebook

Despite facing criticism in the media, Moisés Aguilar Torres’ administration tried to put a positive spin on the situation.

“This is how our mayor makes decisions for the benefit of citizens in the health sector because serving is his commitment,” mayoral aide Bustamante Maza said.

Photo: Facebook

After photos of Torres’ cardboard version at the recent health services event went viral on social media, Pichuclaco  residents were quick to point out that the cutout had made appearances at other events as well. The mayor’s office did not deny these reports, and has yet to decide if the cutout will be retired or if it will be used at future events.