CLIMATE-CHANGE DENIER AND HOMOPHOBE IS MR. AMIGO 2024

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Is there an adult on the Mr. Amigo Association Foundation or the board of directors?

Last year someone came up with the bright idea of holding the Mr. Amigo Association's event in August instead of joining forces with the Charro Days Fiesta. That flopped, and the Association was forced to return to join the Charro Days festivities in February.

And now, following the announcement Dec. 15 that Eduardo Verástegui, one of Sounds of Freedom producers, was chosen to be Mr. Amigo 2024, it appears that a declared candidate for the presidency in Mexico who has shared footage of himself engaging in target practice suggesting  it represented the actions he would take against members of the LGBTQ+ community, among others, has been chosen by the Association to promote unity and friendship between the two counties.

Verástegui, born in Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas, Mexico, expressed his honor at being selected as Mr. Amigo and said he is looking forward to participating in the Charro Days Fiesta, which will take place from February 29 to March 2, 2024.

Dressed in a black ensemble, Verástegui is seen aiming a firearm at a target while standing outdoor in a walled space. The 12-second footage showed him firing several rounds. While Verástegui did not speak in the footage, the 49-year-old's choice of words in his accompanying caption captured the attention of social media users.

"Look at what we are going to do to the terrorists of the 2030 agenda, climate change and gender ideology," read the caption, which was written in Spanish. "I'm reading you [your comments].

Meanwhile, a letter of concern is circulating in social media warning the members that the choice for Mr. Amigo has created a controversy and is dividing instead of uniting Brownsville and neighboring Matamoros and both countries. In the letter, the writer warns the board about the negative response to the selection. 

"I've followed politics long enough to know he has a long, long, long history of extremist ideology including being anti-LGBRQ (calling gay people pedophiles, calling for their extermination), anti-vaxxer, a climate-change denier, anti-abortion...(and) we're supposed to represent mutual love and respect between the US/Mexico and I think we're about to take a hit for it..."

"There's several calls to boycott Mr. Amigo online, hate messages posted all over with this selection."

According to the stated mission of the Association it was formed " to designate an individual who promotes the improvement of the quality of life in the Hispanic community and who also serves as a role model for the community.

"The recipient must also be a Mexican citizen who has contributed to the friendship and understanding of the United States and Mexico, and has excelled in their profession, exemplifying the highest standards in their personal and professional life."

"I know we have had Mr. Amigos who have come from political pasts before, but this man is someone who is bound to separate us," the letter continued. "Do we have a plan to counter the narrative?" 

Believe it or not, the average resident does have a stake in this. Last year, the Mr. Amigo Association requested $75,000 in Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue for fiscal year 2023 and lists the City of Brownsville, the Brownsville Public Utility Board, the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, the Brownsville Navigation District (Port of Brownsville), and various private businesses and individuals as sponsors like L and F Distributors, TIPOTEX, the Lone Star National Bank, and Dr. Ruben Gallegos and others. 

The Verástegui video, which has been viewed more than 4 million times, sparked a mixed response from X users, many of whom mocked the tactics and messaging.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the producer of Sound of Freedom (and now running for the presidency of Mexico) openly fantasizing about murdering feminists, LGBTIQ activists and environmentalists," read one comment on the platform.

"We are now ready to reeducate the damn homosexuals in the Catholic faith. And bring to their knees the females who don't know their place," another quipped in a tongue-in-cheek response. "Long live Christ the King, damn it!"

In reference to Verástegui's stance on abortion, one detractor wrote: "You don't kill unborn babies but you do kill those who are alive?"

"I don't know if this man is campaigning for the USA or Mexico?" commented another. "That seems like a typical Republican propaganda cliché, something that doesn't work in Mexico."

The question for Mr. Amigo Association is: "Who is making theses decisions, and did they do their due diligence in the selection of this man? Or is the Association pushing its own social and political agenda with public and private funds?"