The Puerto Rican Leadership Council demands an explanation, retraction and public apology from Univision's reporter Mario Vallejo, for false statements attributing looting to the Puerto Rican community. PLEASE SHARE.
To see a brief clip of the on air report CLICK HERE
Below is our letter to Samuel Belilty, Director of Univision News in Univision Channel 23 Miami Florida.
====================
Dear Mr Belilty,
The Puerto Rican Leadership Council of South Florida (PRLC of SoFL) a
coalition of 13 organizations, hereby requests an immediate meeting with
your executive leadership. This is a follow up request to the email
sent on Monday June 1, 2020 by our V.P. Frances Colon, PhD.
We seek an explanation, retraction and public on-air, apology from your evening news reporter Mario Vallejo
and Univision Communications for comments made on Saturday, May 30th,
linking the Puerto Rican community to the looting at Bayside
Marketplace. Vallejo, introduced by your anchor, Felix deBedout, as “uno
de los reporteros que mas experiencia tiene en todo este tipo de
momentos críticos” stated:
“han comenzado a lanzar desde los
edificios… envases, mucho de ellos con excrementos…Y algo extremadamente
peculiar por lo menos, aquí en la ciudad de Miami, es que mucha de las
personas que participaron no eran Afro-estadounidenses, los
Afro-estadounidenses eran la minoria…eran blancos, hispanos eh (pausa) …
de PUERTO RICO … (pausa)
Eran personas que no sobrepasaban los 35 años de edad.
Salieron a protestar en varios sitios de Miami, en otros {sitios} fue
mucho mas pacificas las protestas , sin embargo aquí en el centro de
Miami lograron entrar en uno de los lugares iconicos y romper vidrieras,
me refiero a Bayfront Park un lugar que ha visitado todo aquel que
llega al sur de la Florida…”
As a news outlet, viewers want to
know they are getting factual, accurate information that they can trust.
We would like to understand where Mr. Vallejo obtained the looters
identity and origin information. Was his statement derived from a police
report or from personal observation? Did he survey the looters to
assess they were from Puerto Rico or was there prejudice shining through
his commentary?
We request a sit-down meeting within the next
couple of days with C.E.O. Vincent Sadusky, Chief Marketing Officer
Jessica Rodriguez, Executive VP and Chief Communications Officer
Rosemary Mercedes, Daniel Coronell President of Univision News and our
PRLC of SoFL leaders. In this meeting we expect to hear what steps will
be taken to remediate this situation and moving forward how you will
play a proactive role in rebuilding our community’s image among your
audience. The damage your network has done by your reporter’s action,
and subsequently your network’s inaction, to the reputation of the
Puerto Rican community, has been widely felt.
While we have
sharp critiques as to how the current events are being covered, we want
to focus on the singling out of Puerto Ricans. We have already felt the
damage done by this comment and believe the growing community of Puerto
Ricans in South Florida, Puerto Rican media professionals and Puerto
Rican consumers, taxpayers and voters deserve a response. Please
contact Dr. Colón or Mr. Cintrón to arrange a meeting as soon as
possible.
We look forward to your expedient response,
Puerto Rican Leadership Council
The Puerto Rican Leadership Council of South Florida is a 501(c)4 coalition of thirteen cultural and professional organizations that represent and advocate for the interests of the Puerto Rican diaspora living in South Florida.
Updates
June 9, 2020
we just hit 500 signatures and i am seriously blown away by the response. this shows how many of us are tired of these false narratives and ready for some real accountability.
June 8, 2020
we just hit 100 signatures and im honestly blown away by the support. thanks for standing with us on this because it feels good to know people are paying attention.
Reached 500 supporters
June 7, 2020
June 7, 2020
im honestly blown away by how much this has taken off. seeing so many people stand with us proves that we dont have to stay quiet when we are misrepresented.
Reached 100 supporters
June 7, 2020
329 Comments
It is unconscionable that a prime time reporter would categorize looters as Puerto Rican’s without knowledge of the origins of the looters. This cast Puerto Rican’s as bandits and law breakers and an uncalled generalization of our people. We demand an apology and explanation.
Exijo que El Sr. Vallejo se retracte del comentario discriminatorio hacia los puertorriqueños durante una transmission sobre las recientes protesta contra el racismo. O por el contrario muestre evidencia de que la mayoría de los protestantes están de nacionalidad puertorriqueña.
Negative Bias and racism are unacceptable at any level but more sensitive when the biased person is in a position of journalism in which should be informing citizens. Journalists should communicate facts, not believes that damage the reputation of others.
Miami is filled with Central Americans, particularly Cubans, Colombians & Venezuelan...yet instead of stopping at “Latinos” he specifically noted “Puerto Ricans” a minority in population in Miami (13% Puerto Rican vs 54% Cuban & 33% other Central Americans).
No devio mencionar nimgun nombre de pais sin tener prueba, Estas noticias sin pruevas, No son del agrado del televidente, pirde gredibilidad el noticentro y el periodista. Me incomoda que se hable de mi pais en una forma de desprecio atribuyendo culpa sin pruebas . Pido una disculpa cinsera
Mario Vallejo, you are so unprofessional, us as Puerto Ricans are proud of who we are. You owe us a tremendous apology for saying that it was us the Puerto Ricans who started to manifest. If you are racist go to
Univision should show leadership by taking responsible actions and have this person make an on air apology. This non-action by Univision only helps nurture the seeds of division.
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The Puerto Rican Leadership Council demands an explanation, retraction and public apology from Univision's reporter Mario Vallejo, for false statements attributing looting to the Puerto Rican community. PLEASE SHARE.
To see a brief clip of the on air report CLICK HERE
Below is our letter to Samuel Belilty, Director of Univision News in Univision Channel 23 Miami Florida.
====================
Dear Mr Belilty,
The Puerto Rican Leadership Council of South Florida (PRLC of SoFL) a
coalition of 13 organizations, hereby requests an immediate meeting with
your executive leadership. This is a follow up request to the email
sent on Monday June 1, 2020 by our V.P. Frances Colon, PhD.
We seek an explanation, retraction and public on-air, apology from your evening news reporter Mario Vallejo
and Univision Communications for comments made on Saturday, May 30th,
linking the Puerto Rican community to the looting at Bayside
Marketplace. Vallejo, introduced by your anchor, Felix deBedout, as “uno
de los reporteros que mas experiencia tiene en todo este tipo de
momentos críticos” stated:
“han comenzado a lanzar desde los
edificios… envases, mucho de ellos con excrementos…Y algo extremadamente
peculiar por lo menos, aquí en la ciudad de Miami, es que mucha de las
personas que participaron no eran Afro-estadounidenses, los
Afro-estadounidenses eran la minoria…eran blancos, hispanos eh (pausa) …
de PUERTO RICO … (pausa)
Eran personas que no sobrepasaban los 35 años de edad.
Salieron a protestar en varios sitios de Miami, en otros {sitios} fue
mucho mas pacificas las protestas , sin embargo aquí en el centro de
Miami lograron entrar en uno de los lugares iconicos y romper vidrieras,
me refiero a Bayfront Park un lugar que ha visitado todo aquel que
llega al sur de la Florida…”
As a news outlet, viewers want to
know they are getting factual, accurate information that they can trust.
We would like to understand where Mr. Vallejo obtained the looters
identity and origin information. Was his statement derived from a police
report or from personal observation? Did he survey the looters to
assess they were from Puerto Rico or was there prejudice shining through
his commentary?
We request a sit-down meeting within the next
couple of days with C.E.O. Vincent Sadusky, Chief Marketing Officer
Jessica Rodriguez, Executive VP and Chief Communications Officer
Rosemary Mercedes, Daniel Coronell President of Univision News and our
PRLC of SoFL leaders. In this meeting we expect to hear what steps will
be taken to remediate this situation and moving forward how you will
play a proactive role in rebuilding our community’s image among your
audience. The damage your network has done by your reporter’s action,
and subsequently your network’s inaction, to the reputation of the
Puerto Rican community, has been widely felt.
While we have
sharp critiques as to how the current events are being covered, we want
to focus on the singling out of Puerto Ricans. We have already felt the
damage done by this comment and believe the growing community of Puerto
Ricans in South Florida, Puerto Rican media professionals and Puerto
Rican consumers, taxpayers and voters deserve a response. Please
contact Dr. Colón or Mr. Cintrón to arrange a meeting as soon as
possible.
We look forward to your expedient response,
Puerto Rican Leadership Council
The Puerto Rican Leadership Council of South Florida is a 501(c)4 coalition of thirteen cultural and professional organizations that represent and advocate for the interests of the Puerto Rican diaspora living in South Florida.
Updates
June 9, 2020
we just hit 500 signatures and i am seriously blown away by the response. this shows how many of us are tired of these false narratives and ready for some real accountability.
June 8, 2020
we just hit 100 signatures and im honestly blown away by the support. thanks for standing with us on this because it feels good to know people are paying attention.
Reached 500 supporters
June 7, 2020
June 7, 2020
im honestly blown away by how much this has taken off. seeing so many people stand with us proves that we dont have to stay quiet when we are misrepresented.
Reached 100 supporters
June 7, 2020
329 Comments
For him to specifically mentioned Puerto Ricans as part of the vandalism is racial profiling. Different ethnicities were in that group. Mention ppl by their country instead of ethnicity group was out of line.
It is unconscionable that a prime time reporter would categorize looters as Puerto Rican’s without knowledge of the origins of the looters. This cast Puerto Rican’s as bandits and law breakers and an uncalled generalization of our people. We demand an apology and explanation.
Exijo que El Sr. Vallejo se retracte del comentario discriminatorio hacia los puertorriqueños durante una transmission sobre las recientes protesta contra el racismo. O por el contrario muestre evidencia de que la mayoría de los protestantes están de nacionalidad puertorriqueña.
Negative Bias and racism are unacceptable at any level but more sensitive when the biased person is in a position of journalism in which should be informing citizens. Journalists should communicate facts, not believes that damage the reputation of others.
Miami is filled with Central Americans, particularly Cubans, Colombians & Venezuelan...yet instead of stopping at “Latinos” he specifically noted “Puerto Ricans” a minority in population in Miami (13% Puerto Rican vs 54% Cuban & 33% other Central Americans).
No devio mencionar nimgun nombre de pais sin tener prueba, Estas noticias sin pruevas, No son del agrado del televidente, pirde gredibilidad el noticentro y el periodista. Me incomoda que se hable de mi pais en una forma de desprecio atribuyendo culpa sin pruebas . Pido una disculpa cinsera
Mario Vallejo, you are so unprofessional, us as Puerto Ricans are proud of who we are. You owe us a tremendous apology for saying that it was us the Puerto Ricans who started to manifest. If you are racist go to
Univision should show leadership by taking responsible actions and have this person make an on air apology. This non-action by Univision only helps nurture the seeds of division.
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For him to specifically mentioned Puerto Ricans as part of the vandalism is racial profiling. Different ethnicities were in that group. Mention ppl by their country instead of ethnicity group was out of line.