Texas Republican and congressional candidate Valentina Gomez is facing intense backlash after posting a video calling for the public execution of undocumented immigrants accused of violent crimes.
The controversial video (below), which has been viewed millions of times, shows Gomez firing at a hooded person tied to a chair, sparking outrage from civil rights groups and public officials. caused.
The League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, strongly condemned Gomez’s actions and comments.
Read: Liberal legal expert cites 14th Amendment to push to stop Trump from taking office
LULAC says the video glorifies vigilantism and perpetuates harmful stereotypes about immigrants.
clock:
“LULAC condemns violent crimes in our country and expresses our deepest condolences to the victims and their loved ones,” said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Board Chair. “But we believe in Christian principles of justice, not retaliation. Using public executions as a hook for politically motivated messages incites blind hatred.”
Palomares added that such inflammatory language is intended to appeal to extremist views and perpetuates “the lie that all immigrants are here to harm others.” .
Read: A tale of two leaders: Biden’s quiet retreat vs. Trump’s bold blueprint
In her video, Gomez cited the arrest of a Guatemalan immigrant for a brutal murder on a New York subway train as her motive. She has called for public executions of illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes, a position many critics have decried as extreme and unconstitutional.
The video quickly drew criticism, especially in light of past tragedies like the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting, in which 23 people were killed by a gunman motivated by anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“LULAC Texas deplores the irresponsible actions of this alleged candidate,” said Texas LULAC State Director Gabriel Rosales. “Social media needs to ban this kind of reckless display to get attention.”
LULAC leaders across the country united in condemning Gomez’s video.
Lupe Torres, National Director for the United States and Puerto Rico and Vice President for Women, emphasized the need for legislation to ensure harsher penalties for violent crimes, rather than resorting to “revenge killings.” LULAC National Veterans Vice President Lawrence “Larry” Romo emphasized the importance of due process, saying, “We are a nation of laws, not barbarism. You deserve a day out.” LULAC general counsel Gloria Leal called Gomez’s video an incitement to violence and vigilantism and warned of the dangerous precedent that such rhetoric sets.
To sustain our independent journalism, please consider making a small donation to the Tampa Free Press. Your contribution allows us to continue to provide high quality local and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
SIGN UP: Subscribe to our free newsletter and have our top handpicked stories delivered straight to your inbox.
