\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tyoutube<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tIn 1948, the Puerto Rican Senate passed what became known as the Gag Law (or \u201cLey de Mordaza\u201d) which criminalized the ownership and display of the Puerto Rican flag, writing pro-independence propaganda or essays, or associating with anyone who held pro-independence views. While it was repealed nine years later, many Puerto Ricans faced violence and even death during that time for their views.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tBad Bunny references this in the song, when he sings \u201c<\/em>Aqu\u00ed mataron gente por sacar la bandera<\/em><\/a>, Por eso es que ahora yo la llevo donde quiera\u201d<\/em> (\u201cThey killed people for waving the flag, That\u2019s why now I take her everywhere.\u201d) In the video, he\u2019s shown holding the flag up high as he races through a field, with actors ostensibly representing law enforcement sprinting after him.<\/p>\n The Puerto Rican flag he holds is the \u201clight blue\u201d variation. This version, different from the government\u2019s formally approved one used since 1995, is commonly associated with the pro-independence movement as the light blue scheme is said to be taken from the \u201crevolutionary flag\u201d of the town of Lares used during the Grito de Lares revolt of 1868\u00a0 against the then-ruling Spanish government. The date of the revolt, September 23rd, has become an important date for sympathizers of the pro-independence movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n \n\tAt one point in the video, you can see black-and-white images of protestors facing off with the U.S. military. The photos, taken by acclaimed photographer Ricardo Alcaraz and others, depict protests that occurred in the late-1970s through late-1990s against the continued occupation of a large part of the island town of Vieques by a U.S. Naval facility and training range. Over the decades, the U.S. dropped hundreds of bombs on the outskirts of the island, which exposed many residents living downwind to numerous chemicals. Critics have pointed out that Vieques has a cancer rate that is 30 percent higher than in mainland Puerto Rico, signaling possible toxins and poisoning at the hands of the U.S.<\/p>\n In 1999, during another exercise, a bomb exploded close to an outpost, killing security guard David Sanes Rodr\u00edguez and injuring four others. This escalated the backlash against the Navy\u2019s presence on the island, prompting massive protests, acts of civil disobedience, and encampments. Numerous public figures attended these and were arrested for trespassing during police raids, including actors Edward James Olmos and Jimmy Smits who are of Puerto Rican descent. In 2003, after numerous studies and debates, the base finally closed and cleanup commenced to eliminate any remaining environmental contamination.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tScreenshot<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tyoutube<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tBenito has made safeguarding the beaches of Puerto Rico one of his top priorities when he speaks about the future of the island. The video ends with numerous insert shots of different coastlines, including the Punta Hig\u00fcero lighthouse of the west coast town of Rinc\u00f3n, a popular attraction for tourists and locals.<\/p>\n The reason he closes the video with these might seem innocuous at first, but it might have a larger symbolic purpose: one of the main debates happening right now in Puerto Rico involves the development of a project called \u201cEsencia\u201d which is backed by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and other outside financiers. It proposes the construction of a \u201ccosmopolitan coastal community\u201d in Boquer\u00f3n Bay in the town of Cabo Rojo, and privatizes over 2,000 acres of land<\/a> \u2014 including a large swath of the coast \u2014 for the use of hotels, private homes, golf courses, private schools, and more. Protests have been ramping up the past few months, and the project is currently in the middle of ongoing public forums with environmentalists, Cabo Rojo locals, activists, representatives of Esencia\u2019s backers, and more debating whether to ultimately grant final permission for construction to commence in full. Esencia is, to Bad Bunny and others, a harbinger of what can be expected in the near future if action isn\u2019t taken (a similar project is already under way in the eastern town of Fajardo). Showing off the lushness of the coasts can be seen as Benito\u2019s way of saying \u201cThis is what they want to take from us,\u201d as he\u2019s mentioned before in \u201cEl Apag\u00f3n\u201d and on his recent track \u201cLO QUE LE PAS\u00d3 A HAWAii.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\tLight Blue Flag<\/strong>\t<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\tVieques Protests<\/strong>\t<\/h2>\n
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<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\tProtecting the Coasts<\/strong>\t<\/h2>\n