Goya Foods, one of the country’s largest companies serving Hispanic consumers, received strong criticism after its CEO praised President Trump during a visit to the White House.
The visit was due to the signing of a Trump executive order, Hispanic Prosperity Initiative, which was created to improve access to education and economic opportunities.
Goya CEO Robert Unanue was there to make a donation announcement of a million cans of garbanzos and a million pounds of food to food banks in the United States. While on the podium he shared, “We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump, who is a builder.”
Also in attendance was Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and a group of Hispanic leaders and magnates, who have faced strong criticism since their visit.
The news of Unanue’s words has gone viral. Many have used their social media accounts with the hashtags #Goyaway, #BoycottGoya and #GoyaFoods calling for the boycott of Goya products.
New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested dispensing with Goya products with a Google search for “how to make your own adobo.”
Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro also called for the boycott, saying that Robert Unanue “is praising a president who villainizes and maliciously attacks Latinos for political gain. Americans should think twice before buying their products.”
Mr. Unanue defended his comments on Fox News saying he would not apologize. He said the criticism was hypocritical since he had also praised the Obama administration when Goya Foods collaborated on their initiatives.
Goya Foods was founded in 1936 by European immigrants in the state of New Jersey, and for generations it has been one of the brands preferred by Latino families who have transferred to the United States.
