By Zuleyka Indarte
Spanish singer Manu Chao recently released the video for his politically critical song, “Clandestino”. The production was filmed in front of Arizona’s Maricopa County Jail, which is known for holding many undocumented immigrants.
The song denounces the treatment of the prison’s inmates. According to sources, the detained are kept in tents outdoors where they must endure all extreme forms of weather, from the intense summer heat to the bone chilling temperatures of winter.
The music video, directed by Alex Rivera, displays images of chained inmates as well as a recording in which a man, assumed to be the county sheriff, states that the construction for the tent city is to increase due to a “predicted surge in illegal immigration”. The production also includes a brief interview with an anonymous inmate who states, “They treat us like terrorists…We just want to bring food to our families. All this simply for coming here to work.”
Chao first visited the prison after being invited by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network . According to reports, after realizing the prison’s population namely consisted of immigrants, the singer came up with the idea for the video.
“Clandestino” can be viewed on the singer’s official website.
