Bad Bunny, who supports Kamala Harris, says a source close to the artist Bulletin boardsends the Democratic presidential candidate's final message to Puerto Rican voters to his 45 million Instagram followers.
“There is so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico. And this election is not just a choice between Donald Trump and me. It's a choice between two very different visions for our nation,” Harris says in a campaign video posted Sunday (Oct. 27), which Benito shared clips on Instagram Stories not just once, but four times. “One, his, focused on the past and himself, and the other ours, focused on the future and you. Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our country, and Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees and invests in that strength.”
In the video, Harris tells voters, “As president, I will lower the cost of housing, invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs, and fight to finally ensure equal access to programs that strengthen the health system and support children, seniors and workers. I will create a new Puerto Rico Economic Task Force where the federal government will work with the private sector, nonprofits, and community leaders to promote economic growth and create thousands of new, good-paying jobs in Puerto Rico , including our new people.”
“I know that Puerto Rico's economic future depends on urgently rebuilding and modernizing the island's energy grid. That's why I will cut red tape, ensure that disaster recovery funds are used quickly and efficiently, and work with leaders across the island to ensure that all Puerto Ricans have access to reliable, affordable electricity. I will never forget what Donald Trump did and did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and capable leader. He left the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back, devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than napkins and insults. Puerto Ricans deserve better,” says Harris.
Bad Bunny highlighted Harris' line “I'll never forget what Donald Trump did” in his reposts of his speech.
Harris' message to Puerto Rican voters on Sunday came the same day Trump was scheduled to appear at a rally in New York's Madison Square Garden, where Tony Hinchcliffe, a podcast host/roast comedian, made racist jokes at an opening reception. He referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” Later, he made a remark that Latinos “love to make babies” as a guide to a crude joke. Vice President Harris' campaign headquarters called it a “vile racist anti-Latino spoof” on X (formerly Twitter).
Benito, who was born and raised in Vega Baja, has a history of being vocal about socio-political issues affecting the Puerto Rican community.
In September, he placed billboards across San Juan protesting the Partido Nuevo Progresista (New Progressive Party), a major political party that holds the office of governor and commissioner in Puerto Rico, shortly after releasing the song “Una Velita ». The billboards displayed messages such as “Voting PNP means voting for corruption,” “Whoever votes for PNP does not love Puerto Rico,” and “Voting for PNP is voting for LUMA” (the private energy company responsible for the distribution and transmission of electricity on the island). In an Instagram post showing the billboards, the star said: “Ads paid for by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. A Puerto Rican who loves Puerto Rico.”
“Una Velita,” out Sept. 19, has Bad Bunny reflecting on Puerto Rico's response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. “There were five thousand that were left to die, and we'll never forget that,” he croons on piece referring to what happened in the aftermath of the category 5 typhoon that devastated the island.
In 2022, a documentary style video was released for Un Verano Sin Tiof “El Apagón”. At nearly 23 minutes long, the short film takes aim at the local government for its inaction in addressing blackouts, gentrification and other issues affecting Puerto Ricans.
