Julio Iglesias joins Latin celebrity boycott of Donald Trump over immigration remarks

Veteran Spanish singer Julio Iglesias has joined a boycott of businesses relating to US presidential candidate Donald Trump over the billionaire’s controversial rhetoric on the subject of immigration.

“I have sung many times in his casinos, but I won’t be doing it again. He is an a******”, Iglesias, who has been based in Miami for almost four decades, said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia.

Referring to comments by Mr Trump, blaming Mexican immigrants for bring crime to the United States and his plan to deport millions of migrants who lack legal permits, Iglesias said: “He thinks he can fix the problems of the world by forgetting what immigrants have done for his country. He’s a clown! And my apologies to clowns.”

The controversial property mogul is bidding to win the Republican nomination for next year’s presidential election.

Latin stars such as Colombian singer J Balvin and Puerto Rican actress Joselyn Sanchez withdrew from their planned roles in July’s Miss USA beauty pageant, part of the Miss Universe business now fully owned by Mr Trump after NBC cancelled its business relationship with the controversial businessman. The Spanish-American TV chef José Andrés also pulled out of a business venture he had agreed with Mr Trump in disgust at his “insulting comments” about Mexican immigrants.

Iglesias, who is about to release his 80th album of songs called ‘Mexico’ at the age of 72, has not made a habit of talking politics during a career launched when he represented Spain at the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Gwendolyne’.

One exception, however, was his support for Spain’s Right-wing former prime minister, José María Aznar, whom he described as “a man of the future” before the Popular Party leader’s first electoral victory in 1996.