One of Colombia’s most famous comedians reports death threats to children

Alejandro Riaño's character "Juanpis Gonzalez"

One of Colombia’s most famous comedians and social critics said that his children were being threatened after receiving death threats himself.

In a tweet, comedian Alejandro Riaño showed a threat in which a self-proclaimed anti-leftist threatened his children on Sunday.

No a Los Mamertos

The comedian sent out a new message on Monday to thank for the wave of support he received “in regards to my complaints.”

The account threatening Riaño’s children was temporarily suspended by Twitter on Tuesday.

The comedian said that the threat targeting his children was the latest of multiple he has been receiving “for a long time.”

Alejandro Riaño

Riaño said that his wife and his production team agreed they wouldn’t be intimidated by threats, the comedian previously said were expected for the popular political satire and social criticism.

Riaño has risen to prominence over the past few years with “Juanpis Gonzalez,” a character satirically portraying Bogota’s elite that interviews national politicians.

Alejandro Riaño

The threat to his children followed skits in which Riaño’s “gomelo” character echoed conspiracy theories over the Russian coronavirus vaccine promoted by the far-right and proposed to preventively bomb children.

“Juanpis Gonzalez”

The sketches were the comedian’s response to criticism of the government of far-right President Ivan Duque that refused to consider purchasing the Russian vaccine until earlier this year and defended the bombing of underage victims of forced recruitment, claiming guerrilla groups turned them into “war machines.”

The stigmatization of ethnic minorities and opposition to the government has been named as one of the main causes of political violence and death threats targeting human rights defenders, native Colombians and journalists.

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