“Out with the monkey! Out with the monkey!” This racist chant from the crowd at a rally with Venezuelan far-right politician María Corina Machado this Saturday in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square sparked a heated debate on social media and widespread condemnation from both Chavistas and opposition supporters.
The phrase, directed against Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, but also targeting the dark-skinned and brown-skinned majority of the Venezuelan population, was incited from the stage by Venezuelan musician Carlos Baute, who chanted and repeated it. Machado herself refrained from correcting the crowd when they began chanting the racist expression again while she was speaking.
At the event, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Community of Madrid and leader of Spain’s right-wing People’s Party, presented Machado with an award. However, both leaders avoided addressing the incident involving the racist chants. The videos quickly went viral, sparking outrage across digital platforms.
🇪🇦🇻🇪 « DEHORS, LA SINGE ! »
La consigne est criée à la présidente (E) du Venezuela @delcyrodriguezv (métisse de peau), lors d’un meeting de la prix Nobel de la « Paix » -Maria Corina Machado- à Madrid.
L’extrême droite espagnole et vénézuélienne ont co-organisé ce meeting, et… pic.twitter.com/qLBCHVXZLv
— Christian Rodriguez (@ChrisRodrigAl) April 18, 2026
Incitement on stage
The shouts began when Baute addressed the audience to express his support for the far-right politician. The crowd seemed to spontaneously chant the phrase, but Baute, rather than correcting the crowd or offering a different slogan, joined in and sang along. Baute had previously faced backlash from many Venezuelans when, days after the bombing of Venezuela on Jan. 3, he posted a video lip-syncing a song that mocked the US bombing of his own country.
The racist chant was repeated while Machado was speaking in the Puerta del Sol, yet the far-right leader refused to intervene. The footage caused widespread outrage among Chavistas, leftists, and numerous opposition members, some of whom expressed concern while others attempted to downplay the significance of the event.
Screenshot of a social media post in reaction to the chant.
Social media posts discussing the chant.
Global far-right trends
Racism, fascism, and xenophobia have been persistent features of the Venezuelan and international far-right, revived in recent years by various politicians and public figures. This includes Donald Trump and his “MAGA” movement, Elon Musk (who allowed the return of discriminatory messages on X), José Antonio Kast in Chile, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Marine Le Pen and Éric Zemmour in France, the AfD party in Germany, VOX and the People’s Party in Spain, and Zionism in “Israel.”
These actors have sought to normalize hatred toward specific religious, racial, or ethnic groups. Consequently, many of Machado’s followers echo these slogans, as many of these figures are her allies. Expressions of hatred against Afro-descendants, Latinos, Asians, Muslims, Venezuelans, Peruvians, Bolivians, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community have become common on platforms like X.
A social media post discussing the act of public discrimination.
A social media post commenting on the chant.
A social media post pointing out the complicit silence of Machado regarding the chant.
A social media post saying Venezuela’s right wing opposition “cannot hide what they are: racists, classists, and coup plotters. Just hand them a microphone and listen to what comes out of their mouths.”
A social media post detailing legal actions previously taken in Spain against racist remarks.
A social media post suggesting legal action be taken.
Legal and social context
Many European countries have established laws against racism, particularly following incidents in soccer match and other sporting events. In Spain, Law 19/2007 against violence, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance in sport prohibits symbols or messages that insult based on racial or ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation. It allows for sanctions and prosecution under hate speech laws.
In Venezuela, the Organic Law against Racial Discrimination has been in place since 2021 to prevent, address, and punish such manifestations. While some claim racism is less prevalent in Venezuela due to racial mixing, a clear divide remains: in Venezuelan neighborhoods and working-class areas, the vast majority of the population is dark-skinned or of African descent, while light-skinned residents of European descent are more common in upper-class areas—a legacy of colonialism and capitalist culture.
Embassy in Madrid reacts
The Venezuelan embassy in Spain rejected the racist expressions on Sunday through a statement. The official text emphasizes that Venezuela is a mixed-race nation, forged in diversity, which not only defines the identity of the South American nation, but also constitutes one of the ethical pillars of its coexistence as a people.
The full statement follows:
The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Kingdom of Spain addresses you with a profound sense of historical and ethical responsibility, regarding the expressions recently made in a public event in the city of Madrid by citizen Carlos Baute, which constitute an unacceptable manifestation of hate speech.
Venezuela is a profoundly mestizo nation, forged in diversity and the convergence of Indigenous, African, and European roots. This condition not only defines our identity but also constitutes one of the ethical pillars of our coexistence as a people. Any attempt to degrade, dehumanize, or stigmatize this diversity represents a direct attack on the very essence of what it means to be Venezuelan.
The ideals of our Liberator, Simón Bolívar, stand precisely against all forms of domination, exclusion, and contempt among human beings. Therefore, the use of expressions that evoke historical practices of dehumanization and racism is not only morally reprehensible, but also politically regressive and profoundly contrary to the values we defend as a nation.
In this regard, this Embassy expresses its sincerest apologies to the people of Spain, who know from their own history the horror of fascism and hate crimes, and to all those who may have felt offended by these statements. Such words do not represent the Venezuelan people or their culture, characterized by respect, solidarity, and human dignity.
It is even more serious when these kinds of expressions are directed against a woman, as they constitute a form of political violence based on misogyny and racism that cannot be relativized under any circumstances. Calling a woman a “monkey” is an act of dehumanization incompatible with the principles of international human rights law and with the minimum standards of democratic coexistence. Venezuela categorically denounces these acts and reaffirms that its women, as historical and political figures, cannot and will not be the target of hate speech, regardless of its origin.
We also strongly condemn any form of instrumentalization of public space for the dissemination of messages of hate, exclusion or symbolic violence.
Venezuela reaffirms its commitment to defending the universal values of equality, respect and justice, as well as promoting coexistence based on the recognition of diversity as an asset and not as a reason for discrimination.
Madrid, April 19, 2026
Gladys Gutiérrez Alvarado
Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Kingdom of Spain
(Alba Ciudad) by Luigino Bracci with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/JB
From Orinoco Tribune via This RSS Feed.