Crónica TV, an Argentine TV channel, aired the image of Apu, a goofy Indian convenience store owner from The Simpsons, accompanied by the headline "Apu arrives" to announce the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the G20 summit.
The photo, which was shared by Bloomberg's Buenos Aires-based Patrick Gillespie on Twitter, has triggered a handful of divided reactions.
It appears that Crónica TV has cultivated a dubious reputation in Argentina, with some Twitterati calling the channel "a joke" and a "fascist media network."
However, others have leapt to the channel's defence, saying that such jokes are part of its policy.
A number of Argentinians insisted that racism is not a problem in their country.
Nevertheless, the careless joke prompted threats to retaliate.
An unexpected wave of criticism targeted The Simpsons creators last fall over Apu, a cartoon Indian shopkeeper who has a thick accent. Hari Kondabolu, a New York-born comedian whose parents had immigrated to the US from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, released a documentary titled The Problem With Apu. He slammed the character for being an offensive stereotype of Indian-Americans.
The creators responded to the ridicule in the 636th episode, putting their words in Lisa Simpson's mouth. "Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?"