“They’re rapists,” Donald Trump says of Mexican immigrants.
Trump gaffe trumps Chile howler in a series of offensive blunders
A series of racist clangers over the past few weeks from Donald Trump have caused uproar and got under the public’s skin.
On the June 27 broadcast of the Chilean TV program Morandé con Compañía, a supposed Colombian football fan – played by actress Belen Mora – appeared on set selling “malice coffee”, whose recipe includes a tablespoon of cocaine out of a package from under a tablecloth.
The comedian, who tried to imitate the paisa accent, also gave the illusion that all Colombian women who go to Chile do so to work as prostitutes.
The parody caused outrage among Colombians.
“I feel awful. I’m very sad. It was never my intention to make Colombians living in Chile and abroad feel bad. The idea was to make an exaggerated parody, as I always have done … But in no way did I mean that all Colombians are prostitutes and drug dealers”, Mora said in a video apology shared online.
Donald Trump showed no such remorse. The real estate tycoon and Republican US presidential candidate caused outrage throughout Latin America for his comments on the need to establish a wall on the US-Mexico border, blaming Mexicans for sending “drugs dealers” and “rapists” across the border.
He remained on the offensive, branding Colombian Paulina Vega – the reigning Miss Universe – a “hypocrite” for keeping her crown after she said his remarks were “hurtful and unfair.”
Trump, who complained that his comments had been taken out of context, also lambasted NBC bigwigs as they distanced themselves from the tycoon.
Other Colombian celebrities were quick to get their two cents in: singer J Balvin, who was due to play at the Miss USA gala, pulled out and branded Trump “clueless”, while the country’s biggest musical export, Shakira, took to Twitter.
“This is a hateful and racist speech that attempts to divide a country that for years has promoted diversity and democracy! No one living in this century should stand behind so much ignorance,” she tweeted.
