Grocery stores in Florida and Georgia removed Goya products from store shelves amid calls to boycott the company after the CEO heaped praise on President Trump.
Prominent Latinos expressed their outrage after Goya Foods CEO Bob Unanue appeared in the Rose Garden and praised President Trump’s for his support of Hispanic companies.
“We are so blessed to have you as our leader,” Unanue told Trump on Thursday at the White House. Unanue was invited to the White House as part of the president’s effort to court Latino supporters.
But prominent Latinos such as Julian Castro called for a boycott of Goya products under the hashtag #Goyaway on Twitter.com this week.
Goya Foods “has been a staple of so many Latino households for generations. Now their CEO, Bob Unanue, is praising a president who villainizes and maliciously attacks Latinos for political gain,” Julian Castro, a former Democratic presidential candidate and an Obama administration Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, said on Twitter.
“Americans should think twice before buying their products,” he added.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is Mexican, added: “Oh look, it’s the sound of me Googling ‘how to make your own Adobo.'”
Oh look, it’s the sound of me Googling “how to make your own Adobo” https://t.co/YOScAcyAnC
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 10, 2020
Goya Foods donates millions of dollars worth of food to charities and also employees hundreds of workers in its factory.
Unanue said he is not backing down despite the boycott, which he called a “suppression of free speech.”
He noted that he also praised former President Obama when he was invited to the White House during Obama’s term in office.
“When you’re called by the president of the United States, you’re going to say, ‘No, I’m sorry, I’m busy, no thank you?'” he said. “I didn’t say that to the Obamas, and I didn’t say that to President Trump.”
He said he previously worked with Michelle Obama to help include Goya in nutritional guidance to minority communities.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden leads Trump by 39% with Hispanics in national polls.
The CEO of @GoyaFoods is at a White House event saying we're
"blessed to have a leader" like Trump.Make your shopping decisions accordingly. pic.twitter.com/lLHSz4mEUV
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) July 9, 2020
Get yourself friends like these: this tweet wasn’t up for TWO MINUTES when my friend hit me up with the recipe. (Their note: “the ginger is controversial, but worth it”)
(For accessibility:
4 Salt, 1 paprika, 1 cumin, 1 celery powder, 2 garlic powder, .5 ginger , 1 chili powder) pic.twitter.com/5WFe9sL5jE— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 10, 2020
So you’ll destroy a Latino owned business because you disagree with something one of their employees said – got it. You’re really good at helping Latinos lose their jobs.
— Anon +++ (@MagniAnon) July 10, 2020
Goya employs about 500 people in Puerto Rico. By boycotting Goya, and hoping they fail, you're hoping those 500 people lose their job on an island where it isn't east to find work.
— John Fletch (@bklynfletchIV) July 10, 2020
Did you donate 300,000 pounds of food to organizations, food banks, and soup kitchens in NY and other places to help with COVID-19?
Goya did.
— Fuzzy Chimp (@fuzzychimpcom) July 10, 2020
You want your right to an opinion respected but you can't respect anyone elses. Apparently you loved the product until they had an opinion different than yours. The product didn't change – It's still great – but sadly your concern for the people changes if they disagree with you.
— Shannon Neese Sneed (@luckylandtimes) July 10, 2020
