“Botellita de Gerez” bassist, 64 year old Armando Vega-Gil, took his own life after being accused of child abuse via social media.
The accusations began after a teenager shared a story via Twitter which was then retwitted by the account “MeTooMusicosMexicanos” In which it explained that a teenager along with her friends met with Vega-Gil (50 at that time) then supposedly, after sharing phone numbers, texted her inappropriate comments about her body.
Just a couple hours later, after the news started to spread, Vega-Gil posted on his Twitter account:
“Do not blame anyone for my death: it is a suicide, a voluntary, conscious, free and personal decision.”
The full letter reads:
Good evening to everyone. A few hours ago, on the Twitter account #MeTooMusicosMexicanos, a girl accused me of abuse and harassment. She narrates that the episode occurred when she was 13 years old which makes this turn serious, very serious. Well, I state categorically, said accusation is false. I am a public person and I constantly receive people, many minors, in my house for interviews, workshops, or simply in talks with some of these girls or boys who are pursuing my career, and I maintain communication with them.
One of my most important jobs is writing and singing for kids, besides, I’m a family man. I have always strived for the defense of the universal rights of children, I am against their exploitation and abuse, physical and psychological abuse against them, and with my work as a musician and writer I try to brighten their lives. I work with humanitarian associations to help with natural disasters and to make funding for girls and boys without resources for their treatments.
The accusation made in #MeTooMusicosMexicanos is anonymous and who shares it to the social networks is in all its right to do so, but this calls into question my entire career. I insist, it did not happen. That is why I would have invited her to talk about this matter, to her with evidence and witnesses, and accompanied by advisors from the girls of #MeTooMusicosMexicanos so that I would be sure that there would be no threats or reprisals from me.
It is right that women raise their voices to make our rotten world change. It is an inalienable right to denounce, especially for the women of this country and of the whole world. The femicides, the kidnappings, the pornography are a bad thing that progresses spectacularly and nothing seems to stop it, and even then, it must stop, as it happens.
In short, it is a fact that I will lose my jobs, because they are all built on my public credibility. My life is halted, and there is no way out. I know that in social networks I have no way to advocate for me, anything I say will be used against me, and this is a reality that has won their right in the world, because women, crushed by fear and threat, are the main victims of our world
In this perspective, the least I want is for my son to be affected by the false accusation that is made to me. I must clarify that my death is not a confession of guilt, on the contrary, it is a radical declaration of innocence; I just want to clear the path my child goes through in the future. His orphanage, is a terrible way to harm him, but it is better a terrible ending than a terror without an end.
The only exit I see in front of me is suicide, so I decide for it. I want to apologize to the women that I made feel uncomfortable with my words and attitudes, to women who hurt with my macho ways. My struggle until now had been to try to be congruent, to be faithful to my principles. This battle is complicated because men, the males, are creatures of our times.
Thanks to those who showed solidarity with me, those who sheltered me with their love these 64 years. Do not blame anyone, then, for my death: this – suicide – is a conscious, voluntary, free and personal decision. See you soon, Armando Vega-Gil
