On Twitter, #BoycottGoya and #GoyaFoods were trending in the United States, and some Latinos were also using the hashtag #goyaway.
President Trump held a roundtable at the White House on Thursday that included a signing of an executive order on his Hispanic Prosperity Initiative.
The event was held one day after the president met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who was facing a backlash of his own. The roundtable on Thursday included a number of Hispanic supporters — including politicians and business magnates
.@GoyaFoods 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. Americans should think twice before buying their products. #Goyaway July 9, 2020
Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue praised Trump during a speech after the roundtable with Trump and other Hispanic leaders. saying, “We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder.”
Unanue also used the occasion to announce that Goya Foods was donating one million cans of chickpeas and 1 million pounds of other food to food banks.
The only @GoyaFoods can we have at home. Starting tomorrow, our family will no longer buy Goya products again. pic.twitter.com/eNq3BcX4Gm
— Ev Pérez-Verdía (@EvelynPR) July 9, 2020
Unanue’s comments, praising Trump set off a huge wave of criticism on Twitter. Julián Castro, who served as Housing and Urban Development secretary in the Obama administration, said on Twitter that Unanue is “praising a president who villainizes and maliciously attacks Latinos for political gain,” reports USA Today.
“Oh look, it’s the sound of me Googling ‘how to make your own Adobo,'” U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter.
United We Dream, an immigrant youth-led organization, said it won’t support “companies who endorse and comply with a White Supremacist regime.” They created a petition to boycott the company.
We don't support companies who endorse and comply with a White Supremacist regime. Under capitalism, know the power of the dollar in their eyes. We're using it to make a statement.
Pledge your commitment to boycotting Goya Foods today:July 10, 2020
“We all know that Trump has not stopped attacks on immigrants, Latinx folks, Black people, and all people of color, since day 1. We must show CEO of Goya Foods Robert Unanue that we won’t stand for this! If Goya wants our business, they must respect and fight for our humanity!” the group said in a statement.
