His outspoken defense of migrants spark political reactions in the U.S. and Puerto Rico

The presence of the Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl stage on Sunday represents a criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Whether or not he sends an explicit political message during the Super Bowl halftime show, Bad Bunny has already taken a stand by becoming a pioneer in singing in Spanish at the most important sporting event in the United States.

“He is going to sing in Spanish. In this historic moment, that takes on transcendent political value, mainly because of the xenophobic and migration policies of the Trump administration, which have primarily targeted Latino and Hispanic communities in the U.S.,” said Puerto Rican sociologist Hiram Guadalupe.

Bad Bunny’s defense of migrants was clear when he decided not to bring his “I Should Have Taken More Photos” Tour to the U.S. to avoid immigration raids, and it was reaffirmed at the recent Grammy Awards.

“We are not savages, we are not animals, we are human beings and we are Americans. ICE out!,” the singer proclaimed while accepting the Grammy for Album of the Year for “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos.”

After the Grammys, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at artists such as Bad Bunny for their criticism of ICE during the ceremony, calling it “ironic” to attempt to “demonize” federal agents.

Trump has said he will not attend the Super Bowl and that he is “against” Bad Bunny and the band Green Day, the artists selected for the halftime show, because all they do is “sow hatred.”

Bad Bunny’s Grammy win also triggered reactions among Puerto Rican politicians, including Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, who labeled the artist a “criminal” and “shameless.”

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez struck a more diplomatic tone. Despite being a Trump supporter, she congratulated the singer and said the award is “a source of pride for all Puerto Ricans.”

Both Gonzalez and Rivera Schatz belong to the New Progressive Party (PNP), which Bad Bunny campaigned against in the 2024 elections by paying for billboards that read: “Those who vote PNP do not love Puerto Rico” and “Voting PNP is voting for corruption.”

In that election, the singer backed the Alliance formed by the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) and the Citizens Victory Movement (MVC), and he was one of the central figures at its campaign finale.

Bad Bunny’s political involvement dates back to the summer of 2019, when he joined other artists such as Ricky Martin and Residente in protests that led to the resignation of then-Gov. Ricardo Rossello, another PNP politician.

Those demonstrations erupted after a private chat by Rossello was revealed, in which he criticized journalists, political leaders across the spectrum, social groups and public figures.

Bad Bunny has also criticized the island’s leaders in his music, addressing issues such as power grid failures in “Blackout” (El Apagon) and gentrification in “What Happened to Hawaii” (Lo que le paso a Hawai.)

His lyrics have not only influenced Puerto Rican politics. The song “”I Should Have Taken More Photos” has become a soundtrack of nostalgia, used in Palestine and Lebanon to remember what those territories were like before the conflict with Israel.

That message of universal solidarity will also be reflected at the Super Bowl with the presence of sign language interpreter Celimar Rivera, who will convey the performance to deaf audiences — something Guadalupe said defines Bad Bunny’s “emotional sensitivity” and his desire to ensure that “everyone understands him.”

Guadalupe concluded that seeing Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl represents “a great achievement” for the artist and for “everything the Latin American music movement and popular culture have come to represent.”

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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