#LatinosUnite: Ricky Martin starts online crusade against Donald Trump

“Go back to Univision.” That was the message Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman hoping to win the Republican Party nomination for next year’s US presidential elections, hurled at popular Hispanic TV journalist Jorge Ramos just moments before the latter was escorted out of the room where Trump was holding a press conference.

“I am a reporter and it’s my job to ask questions. No, we’re not going to sit down and we’re not going to go away.”

“No more aggressions against Latinos. ENOUGH.”

The incident has inspired the Latino community inside and outside the US to band together against the politician on the social networks. Ramos quickly became a global trending topic, and just hours after coverage of his forcible ejection made headlines, Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin published a letter on the Univision website.

“Just when did this character [Donald Trump] assume that he can make racist, absurd and above all incoherent and ignorant comments about us Latinos?” wrote the pop idol. “ENOUGH! If we are united for some things, we must be united for others as well. We have already shown the United States who we Latinos are, and we simply cannot tolerate this kind of behavior.”

The singer not only expresses indignation at Trump’s attitude towards Ramos, but calls on all Hispanics to fight for their rights against the xenophobic messages issued by the Republican hopeful, who has stated that if elected, he would deport 11 million undocumented migrants and build a huge wall along the US-Mexico border.

“Every right we enjoy today had to be fought for,” writes Martin. “Xenophobia as a political strategy is the lowest you can go in search of power. This is an issue that unites us, and it is up to us to fight it together, not just for our own sake today but also for the evolution of humanity and for those who will come after us.”

His call for mobilization has received over 60,000 likes and over 6,000 shares on Facebook account ever since it was published on Wednesday. Martin also shared the letter on his Twitter account, using the hashtags #SomosUno (WeAreOne) and #LatinosUnidos.

He was soon joined by two other major Latino artists, Marc Anthony and Paulina Rubio, who wrote a letter of her own to Trump.

“Latinos, the time has come to prove who we are!!! You have all my support brother.”

Luis Fonsi, Wisin and Yandel also put their names to this message against a man who has described Mexicans who cross the border as “criminals and rapists.”

José Andrés runs his own campaign

Meanwhile, Spanish-born celebrity chef José Andrés, who runs a successful restaurant chain in the US, unilaterally decided to sever all business ties with Trump after hearing some of his comments about immigrants.

“The recent derogatory comments by Donald Trump make it impossible for me and my business to carry on with the successful opening of a Spanish restaurant on the Trump International property in Washington,” said the entrepreneur in a letter he sent to EL PAÍS. Trump is now suing him for $10 million for breach of contract.

English version by Susana Urra