The Singers Of ‘Despacito’ Are Pissed Off At The Venezuelan President For Remixing Their Song

There’s a new ‘Despacito’ remix out, and for once the song’s creators are having none of it.

At a political rally a few days ago, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro played an altered version of the hit song, with new lyrics encouraging Venezuelans to vote for a policy opponents have described as a “bald-faced power grab” that will destroy democracy in the country.

Now ‘Despacito’ singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, as well as co-writer Erika Ender have slammed Maduro’s use of the song on social media, calling it “illegal” and expressing their furious disapproval.

¿Qué se puede esperar? de una persona que le ha robado tantas vidas a jóvenes soñadores y a un pueblo que lo que busca es un mejor futuro para sus hijos. Que te apropies ilegalmente de una canción (Despacito), no se compara con el crimen que cometes y has cometido en Venezuela. Es una burla, no tan solo para mis hermanos venezolanos, sino para el mundo entero su régimen dictatorial. Con ese nefasto plan de mercadeo, usted solo continuará poniendo en evidencia su ideal fascista, que ha matado a cientos de héroes y más de 2000 heridos. Como co-autor del tema, también me uno a las expresiones de la co-autora de la canción “Despacito” @erikaender. #NoAprobado #BastaYa #venezuelalibre ??

A post shared by Daddy Yankee (@daddyyankee) on Jul 24, 2017 at 12:11pm PDT

“My music is for everyone to listen to and enjoy, not to be used as propaganda that intends to manipulate the will of a people who are screaming for their liberty and a better future,” Fonsi wrote on Twitter.

Daddy Yankee and Erika Ender shared similar sentiments on Instagram, with Ender writing that she cannot “see a song that [she] co-wrote used without permission to advertise campaigns linked to a regime that has a country discontent and suffering.”

“With that nefarious marketing plan, you will only continue to highlight your fascist ideal, which has killed hundreds of heroes and injured more than 2,000 [people],” Daddy Yankee wrote.

Venezuela has been in the throes of a recession and humanitarian crisis for years now, with food and medicine shortages and widespread political protests against the current government.

Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro apparently thought it was a good idea to rewrite Despacito and make it a propaganda song.

No one else agreed. pic.twitter.com/RRSYLLzjqK

— Splinter (@splinter_news) July 25, 2017

The referendum Maduro is promoting with ‘Despacito‘ is about establishing a new political body called the Constituent Assembly, which will be able to bypass other political institutions. Maduro claims the Constituent Assembly is necessary to return stability to the country, but opponents say it will only cement his authority and further weaker democratic power in the nation.

Given Maduro’s approval rating is around 20 percent, it’s little wonder he’s trying to appeal to anything popular to pass his policy. The ‘Despacito’ artists’ response is a pretty important stand against this, and a reminder that pop music can absolutely be political.