The record label behind Bad Bunny — who is set to headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show — was founded by a former official in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuelan government, according to the Dallas Express.
Rafael Ricardo Jiménez Dan, who founded Rimas Entertainment in 2014 and served as its original primary investor, was Venezuela’s Vice Minister of Legal Security from 2006 to 2007, according to his LinkedIn profile. Rimas has since become a powerhouse in Latin music, representing artists including Bad Bunny and Karol G, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Super Bowl Halftime Singer Plans To Insult 80 Million Fans, Turn Show Into Anti-America Woke Fest)
In 2006, he was reportedly assigned a director role in Mission Identity, a contentious national ID program that has been linked to allegations of providing documents to terrorists and criminals, according to the Daily Wire. However, the primary accusations regarding passport fraud have centered on Tareck El Aissami, Venezuela’s former interior minister.
MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 14: In this handout photo provided by One Voice: Somos Live!, Bad Bunny performs onstage at One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert For Disaster Relief at Marlins Park on October 14, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rick Diamond/One Voice: Somos Live!/Getty Images)
Jiménez Dan spoke out against these reports in an August interview with Music Business Worldwide saying, “I am not and never have been a political actor. I’m not a member of any political party in Venezuela — not left, not right. I never had any involvement in the coup d’état with Chávez.”
Nina Valedón Santiago, a former undersecretary for Puerto Rico’s Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and 2024 Senate candidate, called on the FBI to investigate Rimas for potential “risks against national security.” She alleged that Jiménez Dan invested $2 million in Rimas using funds connected to the Venezuelan government. However, Jiménez Dan maintains his investment came from legitimate business ventures, and the PPD distanced itself from Valedón’s claims.
Bad Bunny drew criticism Sunday over his Grammys acceptance speech in which he said, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ICE out.”
