Querido FBI
Encyclopedia
"Querido F.B.I." is a song from Puerto Rican
urban group Calle 13
. The song was recorded in September, 2005 and released through the Internet about 30 hours after the death of Puerto Rican Revolutionary leader Filiberto Ojeda Ríos
in what appeared to be a botched raid at his house.
was in the middle of the recording of their first album
, the leader of the Puerto Rican Revolutionary group known as Los Macheteros was killed during a raid at his house led by the F.B.I., on September 23, 2005. Ojeda Ríos was deemed a fugitive by the FBI (he had been hiding at various places in Puerto Rico
over a period that lasted exactly 15 years) for refusing to submit himself to justice on charges issued in absentia after a bank robbery in Hartford, Connecticut
for which he was labeled as a conspirator. Although Ojeda's group had not been held responsible for any criminal acts during the thirteen years prior to the raid, and local law enforcement authorities had given his case a low priority, federal law enforcement agents insisted in pursuing Ojeda. The raid's timing (which coincided with the anniversary of the Grito de Lares
, the most successful event ever related with the Puerto Rican independence movement), led a considerable amount of the Puerto Rican populace to speculate that the event had the dual purpose of killing Ojeda and giving the pro-independence movement in Puerto Rico an exemplary punishment.
.
The song opens with an attention call addressed to people of all social backgrounds in Puerto Rico. Residente then describes his considerable anger against what had happened to Ojeda, and how that represents a humiliation to Puerto Ricans ("(A) nuestra bandera la han llena'o de mea'o", meaning "Our flag has been pissed upon") It also shows the political concerns of Calle 13, as evidenced by their allusions to 9/11, the U.S. government's involvement in the Ponce Massacre
as well as in the Cerro Maravilla assassination of two members of the Puerto Rican independence movement.
The song suggests putting an end to U.S. military and federal-police intervention in Puerto Rico by involving the entire country of Puerto Rico, but particularly public housing dwellers, those residing in "caseríos" who normally battle each other on urban skirmishes related with crime, but who also happen to have federal law enforcement officials as a common enemy.
The duo was criticized by some who believed the lyrics promoted violence against U.S. authorities (such as "hoy me disfrazo de machetero / y esta noche voy a ahorcar a diez marineros" ("Today I'll dress up as a machetero / and tonight I'll hang ten sailors") Also, "Y por eso protesto (...) Y hasta por un septiembre 11." (And therefore I protest (....) and even for a September 11." Calle 13 stated that the song was not meant to be taken literally and merely symbolized his frustration with Ojeda's killing.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
urban group Calle 13
Calle 13 (band)
Calle 13 is a band formed by stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar , who calls himself Residente and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez , who calls himself Visitante Calle 13 is a band formed by stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar (born February 23, 1978 in Hato Rey, a subsection of San Juan, Puerto Rico), who calls...
. The song was recorded in September, 2005 and released through the Internet about 30 hours after the death of Puerto Rican Revolutionary leader Filiberto Ojeda Ríos
Filiberto Ojeda Ríos
Filiberto Ojeda Ríos was the commander-in-chief of the Boricua Popular Army , a clandestine paramilitary organization that considers United States rule over Puerto Rico to be oppressive colonization and advocates the latter's independence.Ojeda Ríos was a...
in what appeared to be a botched raid at his house.
Background
While Calle 13Calle 13 (band)
Calle 13 is a band formed by stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar , who calls himself Residente and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez , who calls himself Visitante Calle 13 is a band formed by stepbrothers René Pérez Joglar (born February 23, 1978 in Hato Rey, a subsection of San Juan, Puerto Rico), who calls...
was in the middle of the recording of their first album
Calle 13 (album)
Calle 13 is the eponymous debut studio album of Puerto Rican Urban/hip hop duo Calle 13, released on November 29, 2005, by White Lion Records.-Album details:...
, the leader of the Puerto Rican Revolutionary group known as Los Macheteros was killed during a raid at his house led by the F.B.I., on September 23, 2005. Ojeda Ríos was deemed a fugitive by the FBI (he had been hiding at various places in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
over a period that lasted exactly 15 years) for refusing to submit himself to justice on charges issued in absentia after a bank robbery in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
for which he was labeled as a conspirator. Although Ojeda's group had not been held responsible for any criminal acts during the thirteen years prior to the raid, and local law enforcement authorities had given his case a low priority, federal law enforcement agents insisted in pursuing Ojeda. The raid's timing (which coincided with the anniversary of the Grito de Lares
Grito de Lares
El Grito de Lares —also referred as the Lares uprising, the Lares revolt, Lares rebellion or even Lares Revolution—was the first major revolt against Spanish rule and call for independence in Puerto Rico...
, the most successful event ever related with the Puerto Rican independence movement), led a considerable amount of the Puerto Rican populace to speculate that the event had the dual purpose of killing Ojeda and giving the pro-independence movement in Puerto Rico an exemplary punishment.
The song
Angered by the FBI's action, Residente (singer of Calle 13) wrote a song about what happened and asked his record label, White Lion, to allow them to release the single about thirty hours after Ojeda's killing, to the public via the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
The song opens with an attention call addressed to people of all social backgrounds in Puerto Rico. Residente then describes his considerable anger against what had happened to Ojeda, and how that represents a humiliation to Puerto Ricans ("(A) nuestra bandera la han llena'o de mea'o", meaning "Our flag has been pissed upon") It also shows the political concerns of Calle 13, as evidenced by their allusions to 9/11, the U.S. government's involvement in the Ponce Massacre
Ponce massacre
The Ponce massacre occurred on 21 March 1937 when a peaceful march in Ponce, Puerto Rico, by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party commemorating the ending of slavery in Puerto Rico by the governing Spanish National Assembly in 1873, and coinciding with a protest against the incarceration by the...
as well as in the Cerro Maravilla assassination of two members of the Puerto Rican independence movement.
The song suggests putting an end to U.S. military and federal-police intervention in Puerto Rico by involving the entire country of Puerto Rico, but particularly public housing dwellers, those residing in "caseríos" who normally battle each other on urban skirmishes related with crime, but who also happen to have federal law enforcement officials as a common enemy.
The duo was criticized by some who believed the lyrics promoted violence against U.S. authorities (such as "hoy me disfrazo de machetero / y esta noche voy a ahorcar a diez marineros" ("Today I'll dress up as a machetero / and tonight I'll hang ten sailors") Also, "Y por eso protesto (...) Y hasta por un septiembre 11." (And therefore I protest (....) and even for a September 11." Calle 13 stated that the song was not meant to be taken literally and merely symbolized his frustration with Ojeda's killing.