Venezuela: Top socialist says he will use spies to infiltrate anti-socialist singer Despacito’s concert

Diosdado Cabello, vice-president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), warned Venezuelan government officials this Wednesday not to attend Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi’s upcoming concert in Caracas and insulted the singer by not allowing dictator Nicolás Maduro to use his hit. “Despacito”.

Cabello on the weekly state television show Con el Mazo Dando (“Blow the Hammer”) singer was accused of “debauchery” for planning to hold two concerts in Venezuela in October, despite saying in April that Maduro was a dictator. interview given to the Spanish newspaper El Espanyol. The comments angered Cabello, who live-streamed the title of the interview: “Si Maduro tried to use Despacito and I hit the brakes: he’s a dictator.”

Diosdado Cabello Arremetio contra @LuisFonsi inside @OLGATANON1313at instó a no assist a sus conciertos en Caracas: “Immorality” and “cachorrito del imperio” https://t.co/zKtzmWtcZt pic.twitter.com/i3i7YE7MvP

— Monitorimas (@monitoriamos) 15 September 2022

“He may come. We don’t have such a problem in Venezuela, but you can’t take it from him that he’s immoral,” he said. “These people are being blamed [money] because of what they said. Because today they come to sing in Venezuela with a very clean face, and I repeat – I will not go to these concerts, but I will have patriotic workers in the VIP area.

“Collaborative Patriot” – Anonymous Informant Used Venezuela’s socialist regime to exercise social control over the Venezuelan population. “Collaborating Patriots” are tasked with identifying dissidents or voices within the community who criticize the Socialist Party’s leadership or simply criticize internal or social problems in their own community.

Victims are intimidated with insults or threatened with weapons, or often denied public sector jobs or regime scholarships. While the practice itself is unconstitutional, the regime openly does so. Cabello is the chief propagandist of the “Collaborating Patriots,” whose weekly television program frequently features “revealing” reports.

Cabello also warned government officials not to attend the singer’s concerts scheduled for October 28-29.

“If this guy called for an invasion of Venezuela, he talks bad about Venezuela, there shouldn’t even be a government official there, they can say whatever they want about me, that’s my position. Where is he from, Puerto Rico? that’s a puppy [American] The empire next door,” Cabello said.

The Maduro regime’s hatred of the Puerto Rican singer is not new, as it goes back to the regime’s unauthorized use of Fonsi’s hits.Despacito” in 2017. further their authoritarian plans.

Diosdado Cabello (right) President of the National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela speaks with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores (left) during a rally at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, 6 April 2019. (FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty) images )

“Despacito” – A song released by Luis Fonsi in 2017 that immediately exploded in popularity and surprised many records, number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, and the most-watched music video on YouTube. The song also topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks. binding Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” as the longest-running song in chart history.

“Despacito” is currently the second most popular viewed YouTube videos with over 7.9 billion views. viewing in September 2022.

During the 2020 presidential campaign, President Joe Biden, in an effort to influence Hispanic voters, played “Despacito” during Hispanic Heritage Month in Kissimmee, Florida.

In 2017, amid an intense wave of protests against Venezuela’s socialist regime, Maduro logged out revised version”Despacito” with revised words promoting socialism and the upcoming rigged elections for the National Constituent Assembly, designed to draft a new constitution for the country and replace and neutralize the powers of the then opposition-led legislature. Constituent assembly dissolved At the end of 2020, it failed in its role of rewriting the Venezuelan constitution, but in its three years of existence it passed laws such as “hate” that helped the socialist regime consolidate its power in the country and keep Maduro in power. speech.” ” live which certainly censored and suppressed the opposition.

In the midst of the debate Fonsi was adamant prisoner Maduro’s unauthorized use of his song for political purposes to express his support for the Venezuelan people.

“Especially in the midst of the sad state of affairs in a country I love so much like Venezuela, I was never consulted or allowed to use or alter the words of ‘Despacito’ for political purposes. ” fonsi expression He shared a post on social media in 2017. “My music is for anyone who wants to listen and enjoy it, and for anyone who doesn’t use it as propaganda trying to manipulate the will of the people who are crying out for their freedom and for a better future. . ”

Fonsi is not the only singer to resent the socialist regime. In his tirade against Fonsi, Diosdado Cabello also spoke out against Puerto Rican singer Olga Tañon, who is also scheduled to perform in Venezuela in October.

Cabello in early August accused Colombian singer Juanes has been described as “highly immoral” for planning a concert in Venezuela in November, despite his harsh criticism of Maduro. Juanes is a participant in Virgin Group billionaire Richard Brandson’s “Venezuela Live Aid” program. concert February 2019, when Maduro’s regime claims to be part of the US plan to invade Venezuela allegation The singer is part of those plans.

Juanes It is cancelled Her upcoming concert after Cabello threatened to attack her on her TV show.

They said it was my fault that Juanes didn’t come. No, I want Juanes to come. Shake his hand and tell him it’s immoral,” Cabello said. “Of course I have every right because he wanted the invasion of my country. If he wants to attack my country, how come I have no right to call him immoral?

Christian C. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.