Residente cancels his FIB and Morriña Fest concerts due to his ties to KKR.

Puerto Rican singer Residente , one of the cultural figures most involved in publicly denouncing the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, has announced that he will not perform at the Benicasim International Festival or the Morriña Fest in La Coruña due to his links with the KKR investment fund , which has military and real estate interests in the illegal occupation of Palestine.

"Thanks to my brother Gabriel, who manages my social media, a few days ago I found out something that none of us on our team had a fucking clue about, because we don't live here in Spain," the rapper says in a video posted on his social media. "Then he gave me the task of consulting with journalist and researcher friends to make sure it was true : two of the festivals I perform at in Spain, the Benicasim International Festival and the Morriña Fest in La Coruña, are linked to an investment fund called KKR."

Residente explains to his followers that "this fund invests in and financially supports Israeli companies related to military technology , surveillance systems, and even espionage, and also finances real estate projects in illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, thus indirectly contributing to the genocide and systematic violation of human rights against the Palestinian people. I cannot participate for a single second in anything related to this tragedy, even in the slightest way."

Therefore, he adds, "With all due respect, and sincerely apologizing to everyone who bought tickets to see me, I officially announce that I will not be participating in these festivals." Residente concludes his statement by saying he doesn't know if this will lead to legal consequences. "But honestly, I don't care. My position has always been clear on this issue. It always has been and always will be. Thank you for understanding, and long live a free Palestine."

Residente has flown the Palestinian flag at many of his concerts and has delivered messages against "genocide" both on and off stage. He also postponed the release of his latest album when it coincided with the start of the Israeli invasion of Gaza . "I want to tell everyone interested in my music that since October, I decided to postpone the release of my album, along with several videos that were supposed to come out this year, because it's impossible for me to do so in the face of all the macabre genocide slowly destroying Palestine. I don't feel well; it hurts too much. I think about my son every day; I can't be indifferent to this. When was the day we became so dehumanized that we can watch children's heads explode in front of us and say nothing? Why doesn't everything stop like during the pandemic? Let everything stop so we can all focus on Gaza."

Last week, Spanish singer Judeline also announced that she would not be performing at the Benicassim International Film Festival (FIB) in solidarity with the Palestinian people. "I have decided not to participate in the FIB Festival this year given its links to the KKR fund," she wrote on her X profile. "I know that many of the things we do have implications that do not align with our convictions and that most of what we consume has dire consequences for part of the population or the planet, even if we are not always aware of it. However, in this case, the connection is direct and evident. I stand against genocide and in favor of Palestinian rights today and always. So does my team, who support this decision. See you at the rest of the festivals."

The FIB, like some twenty other national festivals, includes among its investors the company Superstruct , which in turn has a stake in KKR, an investment fund that owns a real estate website that offers properties in territories illegally occupied by the Israeli army, and which has stakes in dozens of consumer goods companies around the world.

When this information became known, many artists and bands canceled their performances at these events. In response, Superstruct issued a statement stating that everyone at the company is "horrified" by the scale of the massacre in Gaza and calling for an "immediate end" to the conflict.

Following the announcement of the cancellation of Judeline's concert at FIB, this newspaper contacted Superstruct. The company insisted that it has no decision-making power over the companies and funds that invest in it, lamented Judeline's absence from FIB, and assured that the festival would find a replacement for the lineup, but did not appear overly concerned about the emergence of a new wave of cancellations. Residente could have initiated this Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Superstruct told ABC that despite the boycott campaign against these festivals, which dozens of bands joined and enjoyed widespread support on social media, ticket sales for the affected festivals not only haven't fallen, but have actually increased . The same applies to pre-sales for next year's editions.