Venezuelan pop band that embraced Maduro's opponent cancels tour after his criticism of its lyrics

MIAMI -- One of Venezuela's most popular bands canceled its homecoming tour after President Nicolas Maduro criticized the group for what he said were sexist lyrics — a lashing out that many said was an attack by the leftist leader over the band's embrace of his political opponents.

Rawayana, a 2025 Grammy nominee, was to play across the country to sold-out shows, starting this week but the concerts were abruptly cancelled on Tuesday night.

On Sunday, Maduro laid into the group for its hit song "Veneka" — a term long used by Latin Americans to refer to Venezuelans but which has become pejorative over the past years as millions of Venezuelans fanned across the continent, fleeing poverty and Maduro's increasingly authoritarian rule.

“The group that made that song didn't just mess things up, they stepped in it, they stepped in it,” an angry Maduro said at a rally in Caracas, the country's capital. “The women of Venezuela are called Venezuelans with respect and dignity. They are Venezuelans, not venekas!”

Rawayana took the term for the name of its catchy tune, which mixes salsa and an electronic dub groove with misogynistic lyrics. Still, the band claims the song celebrates Venezuelan women’s beauty and strength.

The tour was to be something of a homecoming for Rawayana, which was formed in Caracas in 2007.

Some of its members, like millions of Venezuelans, have abandoned their homeland in recent years as the economy nosedived and Maduro tightened his grip on power. While the group has mostly steered clear of politics, it leveraged its powerful voice among Venezuelan youth to protest Maduro's reelection this summer amid widespread allegations of fraud.

“This is how we say goodbye to our country until further notice,” the group said in a post on social media post announcing the cancelled tour. “Our music is not meant to divide....Peace.”

Cusica, a two-day music festival in Caracas that was also to begin this week, was also cancelled. The festival's organizers were also the producers of Rawayana's Venezuelan tour.

Many Venezuelans took to social media to denounce what they consider an unfair attack on the group by Maduro.

“I've never gone to a concert in my 23 years and with great effort I managed to gather my money,” said one upset fan on Instagram. "We can't even be happy any more."

Beto Monte, the group's vocalist and guitarist, declined an interview request, citing security risks. “What can be seen a mile away doesn't require much explanation,” he said in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

Rawayana was last month nominated for best Latin Rock album at the Grammys taking place in February in Los Angeles