A beige sweater with the number 64, which referred to the official number of victims of the hurricane, was also a prominent symbol. This figure was later disputed, as independent analyzes spoke of thousands of dead. Donald Trump’s administration faced criticism at the time from Puerto Ricans who said federal aid was slower and weaker than for disasters on the US mainland.
The flags of the countries of North, Central and South America appeared on the stage. The billboard in the background carried the message “The only thing stronger than hate is love”. At the end, Bad Bunny held up a football with the words “Together We Are America”.
Puerto Rico’s status in the United States has long been a source of tension and frustration. The island is a self-governing territory of the USA, its inhabitants have American citizenship, but do not have the right to vote in presidential elections and are represented in Congress only by a non-voting delegate. It is this state, combined with economic problems and the consequences of natural disasters, that creates a feeling of secondary status within the US.
Criticism of the federal government intensified significantly after Hurricane Maria in 2017, when Puerto Ricans repeatedly pointed out that Washington’s response was slow and inadequate. For many, the hurricane has become a symbol of systemic inequality and lack of interest in a territory that is American, but often stands on the fringes of political attention.
Bad Bunny repeatedly returns to this experience in his work and public appearances. He presents Puerto Rico not only as a place of origin, but as a political identity that he refuses to adapt to the expectations of the American mainstream. That is why his appearance at the Super Bowl was not only a celebration of culture, but also a reminder that millions of people living under the American flag do not have equal rights or a voice.
In the context of his criticism of immigration policy and stance on ICE, Puerto Rico appears in Bad Bunny’s message as a bridge between the United States and the wider Latin American diaspora. Not as a margin, but as the center of an experience that connects issues of identity, rights and political visibility.
A child, a Grammy, and a symbolic message about ICE
A powerful moment also came at the end of the performance, when Bad Bunny presented his Grammy Award to a little boy while his acceptance speech from the future played on the screen. The image immediately drew attention and speculation that it was a child affected by ICE immigration enforcement.
However, several American media subsequently confirmed that the boy was not a specific person from real cases of deportations or detentions and that it was an actor’s role. Nevertheless, the moment was widely interpreted as a conscious symbolic gesture of solidarity with families and children who are subject to immigration crackdowns.
The context of the previous days also strengthened the meaning of this image. Just a week before the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny publicly declared “ICE out” and openly criticized the actions of the immigration police while accepting the Grammy for the best album in the música urbana category.
Why doesn’t Bad Bunny perform in the US?
Bad Bunny makes no secret of the fact that his relationship with the United States is complicated. He decided not to tour the US mainland last year. He told iD magazine that he was worried that his fans could be targeted by ICE. At the same time, he emphasized that his decision was not based on hatred of America, but on disagreement with a specific policy.
That’s also why his performance at the Super Bowl was seen as a thoughtful gesture. Political, but without open confrontation. Critical, but built on cultural symbols and emotions.
Trump’s reaction and the two Americas
Donald Trump did not attend the Super Bowl itself. His allies at the conservative organization Turning Point USA organized an alternative event that same evening called the All American Halftime Show, headlined by singer Kid Rock, a longtime supporter of the president.
The contrast between the two events was striking. On the one hand, Latino culture, Spanish, Puerto Rico, migration and the call for the unity of the continent. On the other hand, the nationalist vision of America that Trump defends in his statements.
