Anuel has spoken out against systemic racism and police brutality while expressing his solidarity with the black community. In his thought-provoking message posted on social media, the “Keii” singer calls out police brutality sharing personal moments of when he’s seen acts of racism during his time in prison.
“In prisons, I have seen the racism against our African-American brothers and toward us Latinos,” Anuel writes. “I have lived it. If a black or a Latino person were to kill a police officer, we would spend the rest of our lives in prison. We cannot stand idle. They should sentence that police officer who killed George Floyd to life in prison.”
Anuel joins multiple Latin artists like Amara La Negra, Zion, Prince Royce, Becky G, Residente, J Balvin, Rosalía, Ricky Martin, among others who have spoken out after the death of George Floyd — an unarmed black person who was suffocated to death by a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest last week.
Today, the music community observes #TheShowMustBePaused, or “Blackout Tuesday,” a peaceful movement launched in the wake of the murders of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other black citizens while incarcerated.
Read Anuel’s message (translated to English) in full below.
“To stay in silence today and not support is betrayal! Racism has to die now! The majority of white Americans in and out of the government have been mistreating, judging and hurting us and our black brothers for far too long. Us, as Latinos, have to support our African-American brothers, we cannot stand there with our arms crossed.
There have been way too many deaths and abuse toward innocent people because of racism and racists who are dressed as police officers. I personally have seen how a police officer kills one of my friends who was unarmed or doing anything to risk the police officer’s life. I saw how he was killed because he knew as a police officer, there wouldn’t be any consequences. In prisons, I have seen the racism against our African-American brothers and toward us Latinos. I have lived it. If a black or a Latino person were to kill a police officer, we would spend the rest of our lives in prison.
We cannot stand idle. They should sentence that police officer who killed George Floyd to life in prison. This world is tired of the same abuse and injustices. Justice needs to be served in the death of George Floyd. We cannot let them continue to do whatever they want with us.”
