In partnership with

Opinion for The Latino Newsletter

Editor’s Note: On Friday, The Latino Newsletter received the following as part of an email addressed to a small group of journalists who cover immigration and Latino communities in the United States. We are honoring the authors’ request to withhold their names due to concerns about their own immigration status.

Davicito (Davicito59), one of the most important exponents of the emergent Venezuelan dembow scene, was detained without a warrant by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 8, while on his way to a recording studio in Chicago. He was later moved to the Dodge County Detention Facility in Wisconsin, where he currently remains. Although almost a month has passed, the news about his detention has not spread.

His real name is Claudio David Balcane, and anyone can verify that he has no criminal record in Venezuela, Colombia, or Peru, where he lived for years before arriving by land in the U.S., where he also has no criminal record of any kind. 

Davicito entered the U.S. through the CBP One system, which the previous administration promoted. He did not cross the border illegally. He asked for an appointment, was given one officially, and presented himself to the authorities, who let him in under parole. 

Davicito became famous for a song about crossing the Darien jungle, and in his lyrics, he talks about migration, violence, and the pride of representing Venezuela abroad with his talent. The Darien song caught the attention of producers in Chicago, a city where there is an effervescent movement of cultural workers promoting Venezuelan music, which includes singers such as Akapellah and Lil Supa. 

@davicitokz

Respuesta a @GilCastle 😂😂 #Darien #dembow #foryou #Fyp

Subsequently, Davicito’s fame was propelled by the video of a song called Donaltron, in which, together with other artists such as the renowned Junior Caldera and Luxor, they jokingly asked the president not to deport them, and, among other things, called on their compatriots not to commit criminal acts. 

Apart from the approval and affection of his fans, Davicito also received hateful comments from many people who took it upon themselves to tag ICE. 

As happens in many genres of urban music, in his lyrics and performances, Davicito recreates the conflicts of street violence and the way of acting and thinking of the barrio criminals. Sometimes, he fictionalizes the voice of a “malandro” (Venezuelan gangster) in first person, but this is clearly a dramaturgical fiction. In an interview on the YouTube channel El Achante, Davicito addressed his haters and told them, “People get confused by the character, and when they get to know you, they realize that you are human just like them and sometimes even more chill than what they think.”

We believe that Davicito is being criminalized for having tattoos and being a migrant, for representing the Venezuelan neighborhoods, but also, we think ICE has likely detected him because of the hateful comments about his musical videos. We wonder if it is not also a violation of his freedom of expression in his art. 

This note was written by a group of artists, collaborators, and admirers of Davicito’s work who prefer to remain anonymous. We entered the U.S. legally but remain here with a fragile status and fear that the same thing will happen to us as it did to him. We call on the national and international press to cover this story, and on all artists and voices to join the fair cause of #FreeDavicito. 

Davicito has also sung against the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, so we fear that if he were to be deported, his human rights would not be guaranteed in his home country.

@davicitokz

VENEZUELA LIBRE PORNTO🥺🇻🇪 #fy #fypシ゚viral #Fyp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #foryou #viral #venezuela #venezuela🇻🇪 #Darien #rap

Thank you for letting us share our thoughts and opinions about Davicito’s situation.

Donate to Us

We want to keep The Latino Newsletter accessible without paywalls. To help, you can donate here. Any amount (one-time or monthly) will keep us going.

And now a word from our sponsor for today’s newsletter post.

The Daily Newsletter for Intellectually Curious Readers

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Join for free today!

What We’re Reading

Newark Mayor Arrested: From The Associated Press, “Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday at a federal immigration detention center where he has been protesting its opening this week, a federal prosecutor said.”

Family Determined to Come Back to US: From NBC News, an 11-year-old girl recovering from a rare brain tumor spent her birthday in Mexico, where she and her U.S. citizen siblings were sent after their undocumented parents were deported. The family is seeking humanitarian parole to return to the U.S., citing safety concerns and the girl's need for ongoing medical care.

The Latino Newsletter welcomes opinion pieces in English and/or Spanish from community voices. Submission guidelines are here. The views expressed by outside opinion contributors do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of this outlet or its employees.