Colombian Singer Maluma Walks Off From Interview On Being Asked About Human Rights Violations In Qatar

Colombian singer Maluma walked out of an interview with an Israeli reporter on Friday after refusing to answer a question related to the human rights violations that Qatar has been accused of committing.

Maluma, who has contributed to the official soundtrack of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, was asked about his opinion regarding the refusal of other pop stars like Dua Lipa and Shakira to perform at the World Cup due to the country’s history of human rights abuses, according to BBC.

“Yeah but it’s something I can’t resolve. I just came here to enjoy life, enjoy soccer and the party of soccer,” he replied. “It’s not something that I actually have to be involved with. I’m here enjoying my music and the beautiful life, playing soccer too.”

While he answered the question at first, journalist Moav Vardi pushed the artist further regarding his stance on the matter, mentioning that his presence in the events of the tournament are tantamount to whitewashing the situation, the Times of Israel reported.

Visibly uncomfortable with the line of questioning, Maluma asks someone off-camera if he has to answer the question. A voice away from the camera confirmed to the artist that he didn’t need to answer the question, and Maluma stood up and walked away from the interview.

While Vardi defended himself by saying that people were going to ask him about this due to the stance of other artists and pop stars, Maluma walked away from the interview calling the reporter rude for his line of questioning.

Maluma has contributed a song, “Tukoh Taka,” for the World Cup soundtrack, where he finds himself teamed up with hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj and singer Myriam Fares. He is also performed at the opening of the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha on Saturday with Fares. Check out the song here:

While other pop stars like BTS’ Jungkook and British singer Robbie Williams also performed in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, artists like Dua Lipa, Shakira, and Rod Stewart have confirmed that they have refused to perform for the tournament due to Qatar’s history of human rights violations to women, the LGBT community, and other minorities, the Express Tribune reported.