Carlos Villagrán criticized for using Kiko in a campaign against illegal immigration to the U.S.
The actor participated in a campaign for the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. He highlights the dangers of the cartels at the border crossing: "The coyote mob always leaves you stranded," he said.
In the context of the current border crisis, Mexican comedian Carlos Villagrán, in character as Kiko, asked citizens not to cross Mexico's northern border with the United States illegally. The actor, through a video published by the U.S. Embassy, highlighted the dangers of emigrating illegally.
“Hello guys, first of all, shut up, shut up, shut up, you make me desperate! ... I have something very important to tell you, do not cross the border of the United States, because your father, your mother, your uncle, the dog, the cat, the parakeet, everyone may be in danger, better crossing legally," said the actor in the video:
The campaign, known as Cruza Legal, was criticized by several citizens. The backlash against the comedian focused mainly on his age to play the character and for using him to run the campaign. "What was a campaign against coyotes ended up being a campaign about the importance of saving for retirement," said an X (formerly Twitter) user.
"Is this the best they could come up with? How about they address the structural issues that cause migratory flows? Like poverty, marginalization and violence," said another user on the social network.
The video published by the embassy is an attempt by the Biden administration to stop the flow of illegal immigration, which has been out of control in recent months. Since Joe Biden became president, the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States has skyrocketed. According to official data, there was a record number of illegal migrant encounters at the southern border in 2022.