Papua New Guineans express outrage at Biden’s ‘very offensive’ claim about deceased uncle and cannibals

President Joe Biden is catching flak from Papua New Guinea after implying his uncle was eaten by cannibals in the country during World War II.

On Wednesday, Biden told a story of how his uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission around Papua New Guinea in World War II, crashing in an area infested with cannibals. The story contradicted all records about Finnegan’s crash, which found that he actually crashed in the ocean due to engine failure. He also claimed a new search had found pieces of the plane when he visited the country — which he never did.

The remarks have caused yet another diplomatic incident with the strategic Pacific nation. Many residents and academics said Biden’s comments played into bigoted assumptions about the country, particularly that it’s a backward island nation populated by cannibals.