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Bandera de Guatemala

/Sounds like 'see-PAH-yoh'/

A spineless lackey who does whatever it takes to please those in power. In Argentina and Spain, cipayo (originally an Indian soldier serving colonial rulers) became the word for anyone who slavishly serves foreign or elite interests at the expense of their own people.

Example

"Ese político es un cipayo de las grandes corporaciones."

"No seas cipayo, defiende lo que piensas de verdad. → That politician is a lapdog for the big corporations."

"Don't be a sellout, stand up for what you actually believe."

Word family
Regional synonyms:

Contacto o enchufe que te ayuda a conseguir algo, ya sea un trabajo, un favor o acceso a algo exclusivo. En Chile es muy común y refleja la cultura del 'quién te conoce'.