The issue of ‘hate tweets’ in 2020 resurfaces… Local Fandom “Strong Condemnation, No Expectation of Apology”
Controversy has arisen as it has been confirmed that the running mate (Vice Presidential candidate) of the right-wing candidate Javier Milei (53), who ran in the Argentine presidential election, made hateful remarks about the K-pop group BTS in the past.
According to the Argentine BTS fan club (BTS en Argentina) on the 26th (local time), Victoria Villarruel (48), the Vice Presidential candidate for the center-right party, wrote a tweet in 2020 mocking BTS, expressing discomfort.
In response to a user’s tweet mentioning BTS, she replied with the comment, “BTS sounds like a sexually transmitted disease.”
Villarruel also tweeted, “I hate Koreans with pink hair.”
Local BTS fans interpret this as a reference to BTS leader RM (real name Kim Namjoon).
At the time, some BTS fans had raised objections and complaints about her tweets.
The controversial tweet from three years ago has resurfaced as Villarruel, despite her tweet history, placed second in the final round of the presidential election on the 22nd.
However, Villarruel responded indifferently, saying, “I’m sorry that these thousand-year-old interesting tweet notifications keep pouring in.”
BTS fans have strongly protested against this.
The fan club released a statement, saying, “The message that BTS conveys has always been about respect for oneself and all others,” and “We condemn Victoria Villarruel’s hateful xenophobia towards BTS.”
The fan club also added, “Based on her recent statements, we do not expect a suitable apology from her,” and “If you come across similar tweets, please report them to ARMY (BTS fan club) instead of escalating provocations.”
Villarruel, a former lawyer, is from a family with a background in military personnel who participated in the military dictatorship known as the ‘Dirty War’ (1976-1983) and she has been advocating for a reassessment of the military government.
As a current member of the House of Representatives, she has also faced speculation about attending a party using flight tickets provided for official business.
