HIALEAH, FL, USA, September 29, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Fernando Godo, Candidate for Mayor of Hialeah, to hold press conference at Chico’s Restaurant (4070 W 12th Ave, Hialeah, FL 33012) on Thursday, September 30 at 11:00 a.m.

Fernando Godo, is a top candidate for Mayor of Hialeah, FL, as evidenced by overwhelming public support and a verifiable lead in several polls and surveys conducted on major outlets and platforms. Despite this, Telemundo 51 arbitrarily decided he was not invited to participate in their upcoming debate on the sole basis of not having a minimum of $50,000 in campaign funds.

Telemundo 51 announced that only two of the five registered candidates on the ballot were invited to a debate set for October 9, 2021.

Telemundo bases its discrimination for excluding Mr. Godo in that he had not raised a minimum of $50,000 in campaign funds by August 31, 2021.

The communication from Telemundo 51’s President and General Manager, Jorge Carballo, was provided to the campaign on September 24 — long after the arbitrary date of August 31st set by the network.

Telemundo further disregarded hundreds of calls and messages from Hialeah residents to the station last week asking for Godo’s participation in the debate.

Hialeah is the sixth-largest city in Florida and second-largest in Miami-Dade County. Hispanics make up over 95% of the city's population. Hialeah also has one of the largest Spanish-speaking communities in the country with over 96% of residents speaking Spanish at home.

Telemundo boasts itself as the top primetime Spanish-language destination for Hispanic audiences. Televised debates are one of the most crucial events for voters, providing the best chance to listen carefully and weigh what the candidates have to say.

Telemundo has failed to put the public interest above their own self-interest. They have disregarded ethical and objective journalistic standards that form the basis of their covenant of trust with the public. Telemundo’s decision degrades rather than improves the quality and effectiveness of citizen decision-making.

Money was a form of discrimination for a period of United States history. Jim Crow laws in southern states limited black people’s right to vote for that very reason. Fortunately, those days no longer plague this great nation. It is worth reminding Telemundo that it is using a despicable argument against a candidate like Fernando Godo.

Money is not an indicator of quality, particularly in this election. Money — and ties to an entrenched establishment and special interests — is precisely why a majority of Hialeah voters are fiercely against the candidates and recycled career politicians who Telemundo invited to the debate.

The network further eschews their role in providing quality election coverage as they continue to use a badly edited image of Mr. Godo on-air, without concern for disparaging the candidate’s image and expressing zero interest in providing thorough and balanced coverage of candidates in their programming.

The network further eschews its role in providing a complete and balanced coverage of the candidates in its programming. Telemundo disparages Mr. Godo’s image by using a badly edited photo on the air that does not represent him. Mr. Godo’s campaign demands that use of said image cease immediately.

The facts remain that Fernando Godo:
– is a legally qualified candidate in accordance with the City of Hialeah Charter requirements and Florida Statutes.
– is the front-runner in several polls and surveys
– has the most important endorsements and “funds” in an election — that of the people

Should Telemundo fail to include Mr. Godo in their upcoming debate, viewers can draw their own conclusions about who and what Telemundo truly cares about — one thing is certain — their audience is not included. The discrimination is not only against Fernando Godo, but also against the thousands of viewers who want to see him in the debate.

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Fernando Godo
Fernando Godo for Mayor of Hialeah
hialeah@fernandogodo.com