Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee Controversy: Reggaeton Star Feels Discriminated By Puerto Rico Tourism Company Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

After the resounding success that has had the song "Despacito," Luis Fonsi was named as ambassador of Puerto Rico worldwide. Governor Ricardo Rosselló and the Tourism Company, under the executive direction of José R. Izquierdo, made an investment of $ 700 thousand dollars in favor of Fonsi.

Although the viral song placed the Caribbean island on top, the investment was not to the liking of many due the current crisis that is crossing the nation belonging to the United States. "The increase in the interest generated by consumers abroad to know more about our Island, due to the popularity achieved by 'Despacito', is an undeniable fact," says Izquierdo.

"Despacto," which has been positioned as the first single in Spanish to achieve the number one position of Billboard's Hot 100, since the Macarena in 1996, is a song that from the first day of its release has the participation of the star of reggaeton Daddy Yankee. So the absence of Yankee in this promotion has caused fuss and amazement to more than one person.

In an interview with Primera Hora, Daddy Yankee revealed that he had been very surprised for no have received a proposal to participate in the promotion campaign of the entity, and that he feels discriminated by the government, since he understands that he wasn’t taken into consideration for being a singer of the urban genre.

"The only discomfort I feel is that I thought that in our genre we had passed that barrier a long time ago ... and now I see is not the case," Yankee said.

The disagreement was also present in people close to the "Big Boss" as it seems unfair that Yankee, who lives in Puerto Rico, has been excluded from the campaign to Luis Fonsi who actually lives in Miami. Regardless of the controversy generated and the statements, the reggaeton global sensation said that he doesn’t have any type of annoyance with Fonsi and that the friendship relation has not been affected. "Business is business and friendship is friendship, they are two totally different things," Yankee insisted.

 Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee perform onstage at the Billboard Latin Music Awards at Watsco Center on April 27, 2017 in Coral Gables, Florida. Photo: Sergi Alexander/Getty Images

"I, frankly, was promoting my land for free all the time. I live here. People see me laying the rivers of El Yunque. I go to Palomino, I go to Culebra ... and I do it for the love of my land," said the singer to Primera Hora. "Number one, because I, really, travel the world and when I am stationary here in my Country, that is where I live, where I live, I enjoy it perhaps to fullness better than other people because I am not all the time here."

The artist made it clear that he doesn’t want the controversy opaque the success of the song. "We are celebrating. This is a moment of celebration," he emphasized. "Number one, the song is historical. It is the most viewed video in the history of YouTube. Right now, he might break the record for Billboard's Hot One Hundred song in the United States. It may be the one that reigns as the greatest of all time."

As explained in a press conference the contract with Fonsi will be in force until June 2018 and the commitment includes that the artist promote the Island on his Love & Dance World Tour, which will have at least 51 stops in cities in the United States, Europe, Central and South America.

The campaign - which will include digital advertising videos - would be focused not only on getting foreigners to visit Puerto Rico, but also on taking it "slowly" and lengthening their stay.

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