Rapper Resident reveals Bukele's stance on gay abortion and marriage

In an unusual interview with about 159.00 viewers, the Puerto Rican rapper Residente put the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, on the spot with sensitive issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

What was expected was a pleasant conversation between the international figure of urban music and the Salvadoran president, almost in an official tone, turned into an interview on political issues.

"For me it was important to have this talk because of everything that is happening with the pandemic. I also found your proposal to break the rules a bit or perhaps change a little what the rulers usually do a little bit interesting," said René Pérez, a former member of Calle 13, at the beginning of the talk.

Residente urged his followers on social networks to write their questions and there was no need for complicated topics for politicians: abortion, gay marriage and violence against the LGTBI community.

Bukele, who has not given an interview to the Salvadoran media since he came to power on June 1, 2019, had not been as clear on these issues as he was with René.

HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE

"No, not as a concept", this is how the president responded when asked if he believed - "supported" - same-sex marriage.

However, before giving this answer, he pointed out that there is no legislation that allows it and that "that is what there should be."

Bukele also referred to the so-called "inclusive language" and noted that "I am not much of a change in language."

"Yes, Spanish is macho, it is true, but the fact of putting E on things does not really fix the problems," said Bukele.

Resident replied that "in such a macho Latin America" ​​is "every detail, a letter, everything adds up", because "anything that makes us more aware that we have historically been favored by men is going to help."

ABORTION

El Salvador is one of the countries that prohibits abortion in all its forms and, according to humanitarian organizations in the country, the justice system "criminalizes" poor women who experience obstetric emergencies by accusing them of aborting and condemning them for homicide.

"I am not in favor of abortion and I think that in the end, in the future, someday we will realize that it is a great genocide that is being committed with abortions," said the president.

The conversation turned on the pregnancies of raped women: "we always punish the wrong person" and "the baby is not to blame", were some phrases that the president released.

Bukele clarified her position and rejected the imprisonment of women who suffer out-of-hospital births and are sentenced to up to 50 years in prison.

MILITARY AT THE CONGRESS

Bukele was under international scrutiny in early February after entering the Legislative Assembly accompanied by military and police armed with assault rifles.

"What was that about the military, why did you put the military in Parliament? What was the objective of doing something like this?" Asked the rapper.

After trying to ease the tension on the question and justifying the action, Bukele publicly admitted for the first time that it was an act of pressure on the Legislative body, which was majority in opposition.

"It is a form of pressure," Bukele said, after Resident asked him to summarize his action in a few words.

Bukele's arrival in the Legislative Assembly, which the deputies described as an "attempted coup", came amid controversy over the approval of a $ 109 million loan for security plans.