Migrants and Mexican activists have come together in New York City to demand the closure of a popular program on Spanish language radio that compared Mexicans with prostitutes. The polemic began last week when “El Vacilón de la Mañana” on local chanel La Mega 97.9FM compared U.S. residents with Mexicans, commenting “the gringo with a gun is cautious, the Mexican is a mugger,” or “the gringo in the brothel is looking for pleasure, the Mexican looks for his sister.”
Soon after, critics of the program on social media proliferated and a signature-gathering campaign was started to get the Federal Commission of Communication to denounce the program.
“More people are coming together in this protest,” said Ed Fortoso, a young Mexican who underlined that this was not the first time he had heard offensive comments on La Mega 97.9FM.
“The program should be supporting us and not making racist comments,” said Fortoso. “What that does is support the electoral campaign of Donald Trump,” he added in reference to the candidate’s strong statements against illegal immigrants in the United States.
The host responsible for the comments, Ramón Kanibal, defended himself by saying that Mexicans have no sense of humor.
“To error is human, to forgive is man’s work,” the host said on the air as part of his suppose apology.
Officials of the Mexican consulate in New York have sent a letter to La Mega 97.9FM criticizing the comments. Carlos Gerado Izzo, the press and public affairs consul, told the Associated Press that the letter was read during the program and that the radio station has apologized for the remarks.
ESTEBAN BANTORY SANDORF WITH ADDITIONAL INFO FROM THE NEWS
Mi gente unida en contra de los comentarios racistas que se hicieron en el vacilon de la mañana por @Mega979nyc pic.twitter.com/D9rwMck8pD
— EdFortosoOfficial (@n60smusic) March 25, 2016
