The artist has issued a statement and a video through his social media to apologize for joining in racist chants directed at the current president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, at an event attended by Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado.
During Baute's performance on the stage set up in the central Madrid square, and moments before Machado's appearance, the singer encouraged the attendees with the cry of "Get rid of the monkey!" referring to Rodríguez. This gesture sparked a wave of criticism on social media and in the media, accusing the singer of uttering racist insults and inciting hatred.
Given the seriousness of the situation, the Venezuelan Embassy in Spain issued an official statement apologizing to the Spanish people: "This Embassy expresses its sincerest apologies to the people of Spain, who know in their own history the horror of fascism and hate crimes." In his message of rectification, Carlos Baute wanted to make it clear that his behavior was a result of the fervor of the moment and not of a discriminatory ideology.
"I come from a Venezuelan family, I grew up within folklore, unity, studied Venezuelan folklore, and have always defended its values and fought against injustice. That's why I want to be very clear and decisive: I am not a racist person, I am not racist, nor do I believe in insults as a way," he asserted firmly. The singer justified his action by referring to the political tension in his home country.
"This Saturday, I got carried away by the emotion of a very intense moment... and I also know how to recognize when something was not right. I do not believe in insults as a way." According to his version, he simply joined in what thousands of people were chanting: "I got carried away by the emotion of that chant, without measuring it," arguing that it is "many years of repression, frustration, and lack of freedom in Venezuela." Despite the repentance shown, Baute wanted to clarify that his apologies are limited to the way he expressed himself, maintaining his political convictions intact.
"I reiterate my apologies for the form, but not for my values nor for what I represent, and much less for what I think." The artist insists that an isolated incident cannot tarnish his career: "If someone felt offended, I regret it and apologize," he concluded, asking that the focus return to the need for democracy in his homeland. Meanwhile, María Corina Machado has also commented on the incident, expressing in an interview her "rejection of the racist chants" that some of her followers chanted during the day in Madrid, distancing herself from the offensive expressions heard at Puerta del Sol.