Gutierrez Calls on Annello to Apologize for Racist Comments

Not sure why this isn't the lead story on most news broadcasts in a city that is 85% Latino, but a white elected official blatantly pitting two communities of color against one another in a candidate forum has caused a candidate to demand a "public apology from incumbent Alexsandra Annello for racist comments". 

The comments were made during a recent exchange between the candidates during a campaign forum in which Annello took issue with the fact that Gutierrez mentions the fact that she's the only Latina candidate in the race. Annello who is white and from the east coast, spoke about how we live in a community where "Latina candidates are put over other candidates."

I wrote about this in detail and included video footage of Annello's comments and demeanor here. 

El Paso has a proud tradition of Latinas in leadership positions from water boards and school districts, all the way up to Congresswoman Escobar. 

Interestingly (and indefensibly) Annello framed the conversation as though Gutierrez mentioning she was the only Latina running in District 2 somehow deprived an opportunity from "the black community and other candidates that want to run that aren't Latina women". 

But there are no African-American candidates in the District 2 race. Annello is literally the only candidate running for that position that is not Latino/a.

It is the most brazen effort from a white politician to play two minority groups against one another that I have ever seen in all my years of covering local politics. 

In a statement sent out to the media on September 15th, Gutierrez spoke about the timing of this incident right at the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

“It is unfortunate and ironic that I am having to defend my Latina identity as we begin Hispanic Heritage Month. Instead of focusing on our culture and community, I am having to call out racist comments from our elected representative,” said Gutierrez. 

Gutierrez is Annello's former staffer and a long-time employee of the city of El Paso who has served as a staffer in the District 2 office for many years under at least 4 different city representatives. 

Later in the statement Gutierrez makes a starting accusation against her former boss and incumbent City Representative Alexsandra Annello. Gutierrez said Annello directed her to pronounce her name with a Spanish pronunciation in order to appeal to Latinos. 

“Moving forward, Rep. Anello must apologize for her egregious and hateful comments that were spoken with every intention of driving a wedge between the Black and Brown communities in our city. Her condescending response is indicative of her bullying style and unfitting of an elected official. Annello has strategically and conveniently appropriated our culture when time and time again, her colleagues on the City Council referred to her as “Ah-nay-yo,” the Spanish pronunciation of her name. Annello did not ever correct her colleagues, not once. In fact, when I was a staffer for Annello, she directed me to pronounce her name in Spanish in order to make her more appealing to the Latino voters. This is just one of many  reasons I decided to run for office, to unite our community and fight for a better El Paso.”

“I also demand that Annello apologize to all of the Latina elected officials in El Paso and the powerful Black women who are also a strong force in our community. The constituents of District 2 have had it with her condescending and privileged approach to governance. She must acknowledge her racist remarks and apologize to the El Paso community.”

If true, that is the most brazen attempt at political brown face I have ever heard of in El Paso politics. 

Annello has made no public comments regarding this issue since it happened. There is no word if some of her more prominent Latina supporters have raised the issue with her, but quite a few Latina elected officials have expressed outrage that Annello made the comments she made. 

Gutierrez also issued a statement on video regarding the matter.