Yes, This Salsa Song Is Real: ‘This Latino’s Gonna Vote For Trump’

Sep 30, 2015
6:59 PM

We HAVE to give it up to Adrian Carrasquillo of Buzzfeed for finding one gem of a video. Before we explain, just watch:

Ok, now this is what you need to know. The singer is named Ruben Obed Martinez. According to Buzzfeed, he is a 38-year-old Puerto Rican, who “was born and grew up in New Jersey, and lives on the island now producing music.” He told this to Buzzfeed, “A lot of things Trump says really resonate with me. I felt an obligation to represent the other side of the Latino community that isn’t thinking this way.”

Earlier this afternoon, our founder @julito77 posted the Carrasquillo story on his private Facebook page. Since Julito tagged Carrasquillo (they are Facebook friends) and since Martinez is now Facebook friends with Carrasquillo, Martinez posted the following comments on Julito’s personal wall, in response to a question our founder had about whether Martinez intends to go back to New Jersey to vote for Trump in a general election, since people who live in Puerto Rico can’t vote for president, but they can vote in the primaries on the island. Here are the comments Martinez posted on the wall, after Julito asked his permission to publish those comments (all unedited, typos included):

Julio Ricardo Varela. let me ask you a question. If you are a reporter/journalist, shouldn’t you be neutral?? Isn’t that what makes a journalist a good one, to be able to deliver the news in a neutral unbiased manner?? because when a journalist incorporates his personal opinion into the news he no longer is a journalist and becomes an Activist. Which one are you? Journalist or Activist?

This is what Julito said to him: “Journalist. Google me. Thanks. Good to see you posting on my wall. Again, I just asked you a simple question that you haven’t answered yet. If you are living in Dorado [a town in Puerto Rico] right now, how do you plan to vote for Donald Trump in a national presidential election? Are you going back to NJ to vote for him?”

Julio, I answered your question very clearly but you don’t like my answer. my answer is “MY PERSONAL LIFE IS MY OWN” That is my freedom as an American. All I can say to you is. I know where I stand. Thats all. Then as a journalist you should deliver the news “un biased”. that is ethical journalism.

I Choose to maintain my privacy and under the US constitution i have that right.

Thats America friend.

But I thank you as well because I really like civil and professional conversations without disrespecting a person even if their political afiliation is not in accordance with our own. Thats supposed to be the American way.

After those comments, Julito asked him this: “Just a simple question: how are you going to vote for him if you live in Puerto Rico?”

More responses:

You go back to the same thing. Planes fly back and forth.

but as for personal things of my life, i choose to keep them private.

As they say in spanish “El que nada debe nada teme”.

Martinez also posted this on a public Facebook wall:

LOS BORICUAS TODOS AL 100% SOMOS LEGALES (ALL BORICUAS ARE 100% LEGAL)

Rob, like I said. I’m Legal. And My personal life is not of your concern. Thats called FREEDOM. I have the right to remain silent, I have the right to speak, i have a right to travel to puerto rico and stay here a few months and then go back to NJ as I see fit. I’m FREE. Thats what America is about my friend.

Soy legal. Mi vida personal no te la tengo que divulgar a ti. De eso se trata ser americano de tener derechos a libertad y privacidad. (I am legal. I don’t need to divulge my personal life to you. That is why it is American to have rights to liberty and privacy.)

Eso es lo bueno de ser legal y Americano. (That is the beauty of being legal and American.)

After all the Facebook exchanges, Martinez clarified his voting intentions with Buzzfeed:

UPDATE:

Martinez said he is technically a New Jersey resident and goes back and forth between the state and Puerto Rico.

Asked if he was registered to vote, he said he is going to do so this weekend when he is in New Jersey. He said he’s been working on a couple projects and hasn’t been able to. He also hasn’t voted in previous Republican primaries, for a reason.

“I’m going to be honest with you,” he said. “This is the first time I’m going to vote.”