Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue Friday defended telling President Donald Trump that the country is "truly blessed" under his leadership, as calls grew in the Latino community to boycott foods sold by the nation's largest Hispanic-owned food company.
"It's suppression of speech," Unanue said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "I'm not apologizing for saying it, and if you are called by the president of the United States, you are not going to say 'no, I'm sorry, I'm busy, no thank you. I didn't say that to the Obamas and I didn't say that to President Trump."
He explained that in 2012, Michelle Obama called him to come to Tampa in support of her healthy eating initiative, as the "most-recognized Hispanic brand" in the country. He later went to the Obama White House to introduce Hispanic Heritage Month.
Thursday, while Unanue stood by Trump at the Rose Garden, he said the president and his grandfather, who founded Goya, had a lot in common, and that "we're truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder, and that's what my grandfather did," reports The Washington Post.
Goya was founded by Unanue's grandparents, Prudencio and Carolina Unanue, two immigrants from Spain who launched the food company in 1936 in lower Manhattan. Since then, the company's products have been a staple in Latino households.
"You are allowed to talk good or praise one president, but you are not allowed, when I was called to be part of this commission to aid in economic and educational prosperity and you make a positive comment, all of a sudden that's not acceptable," Unanue told Fox News about the calls to boycott his company.
After his comments in the Rose Garden, Latinos and Goya supporters slammed Unanue's comments, pointing to the president's rhetoric and policies aimed at immigrants and minority communities.
"President Trump has left Latinos and many Americans hungry," tweeted chef and humanitarian José Andrés. Cages Latino Children. Has forgotten the Latino community through this pandemic. Has called Mexicans rapist. We are blessed? I think Latinos we are being mistreated."
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