Sawt Falasteen - Despite Trump, Bad Bunny reflects importance of Latinos in US politics

For US Latino voters, however, the show was a reminder of their significant role in American society.

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former Florida congresswoman who was born in Ecuador, told AFP: "What Bad Bunny was able to do in the largest stage in American media was make a statement of what the Hispanic community, the Puerto Rican community, represents to this country."

The 31-year-old performer, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, sang entirely in Spanish in a spectacle that showcased Latino neighborhoods and culture within the United States, including his native Puerto Rico.

"He was presenting the culture of Latino Americans who live in his country and embracing the language not as a form of protest, but in some ways as an educational piece that Latinos who speak Spanish don't pose a threat," said Mucarsel-Powell, now head of George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management.

- 'We are important' -

The show drew backlash from the US right, especially for its use of Spanish, with Trump calling it "an affront to the Greatness of America" on his Truth Social platform.

But for Martina Grifaldo, 62, Bad Bunny's show was "a powerful message because it is saying that we are important and necessary in this country."

"It gives strength to those Latinos who can no longer cope with everything that is happening," added Grifaldo, who leads the International Latino Alliance in Houston, Texas.

Trump won 48 percent of the Latino vote in 2024, a 12-point increase from 2020, but his immigration policies since returning to office have begun to reverse that trend.

More than 36 million Latinos were eligible to vote in the 2024 presidential election, about 15 percent of the country's electorate.

"The Hispanic/Latino vote has been a swing vote and what we saw in 2024 was a result of the pain of what the Hispanic community was feeling on the economy...and they saw Trump as a means to get out of that," said Mucarsel-Powell.

- 'Racism still exists' -

"They have not seen any changes or any economic gains for their community...But now the issues of respect and security are important. They are starting to see immigration affect their friends and their community."

According to a January NYT/Siena poll, 58 percent of Hispanic voters disapprove of Trump's performance, while 39 percent approve. A Pew Research poll from November showed that 70 percent of Latinos disapproved of his performance.

Trump "has an erroneous view of Latinos. He believes that we bring crime and bad habits, but we have always been working," said Lenny Medina, a 26-year-old parking lot attendant in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which has been a US territory since 1898.

"Racism still exists in the 21st century," he added.

Michelle Venegas, a 50-year-old Puerto Rican resident of Austin, Texas, told AFP that because of Trump's immigration crackdown, "we're having to walk around with our passports and even that doesn't guarantee that we're not going to be detained."

"What a slap in the face. That's a slap in the face," she added.

J.AbuShaban--SF-PST