Raúl de Molina’s participation in the CBS New Year’s Eve special generated a strong conversation among viewers and Internet users, after an apparent censorship during his intervention from Times Square, New York, went viral.
The host of El Gordo y la Flaca was sharing his wishes for the New Year when, as perceived by the audience, the broadcast was abruptly interrupted just after he expressed a message of support for the immigrant and Latino community.
The moment did not go unnoticed. Videos and comments began to circulate on social networks indicating that, after his words, the signal gave way to an institutional video of the network that lasted approximately two minutes.
Although Raul initially reacted by “liking” some posts denouncing the situation, it was not until his return to the Univision program that he spoke openly about what had happened.
What happened in Times Square with Raúl de Molina
After the days off for the beginning of the year, Raul returned to the set of El Gordo y la Flaca, where he was greeted by Clarissa Molina as guest host. She asked him directly how he had experienced the controversial moment with actor Jonathan Bennett. Raul explained that, around 11:55 p.m., he was taken to the main stage in Times Square, the place where the New Year is traditionally welcomed.
There, he recounted, he was asked what Latinos expected for the year ahead. His answer was honest and direct: he pointed out that it had been a complicated year for the Latino community, mentioned the issue of deportations and expressed his wish that the new year would be better for everyone. At the time, he did not notice any unusual interruptions.
It was not until the following day that Raul realized the magnitude of the issue. Checking social networks, he discovered that many claimed that CBS had cut his message. “I don’t know if they cut me because of what I was saying about immigrants,” he commented, clarifying that it was not a traditional commercial break and that he is not certain what really happened. However, he acknowledged that the clip went viral and went around the world in a matter of hours.
Far from feeling intimidated, Raul said he received enormous support from the public. He said that even as he boarded his flight home, many people – especially young people – approached him to congratulate him and thank him for his message. With Cuban roots, the presenter has been a constant advocate for the immigrant community, particularly in a context he considers difficult for Latinos in the United States.
From his space on Univision, he reaffirmed his position without hesitation. “I don’t know what happened, but I will continue to support immigrants and defend free speech,” he said. In closing, he expressed his hope that what happened was just a coincidence and recalled a strong message: “In this country we are all immigrants; the only truly native people are the native peoples”.
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