Cumbia star L-Gante, the musician who rose to fame after a collaboration with heavyweight producer Bizarrap, was acquitted Monday of kidnapping charges, avoiding jail time.
However, in a televised court ruling, the singer was handed a three-year suspended prison sentence.
Standing trial under his real name, Elián Valenzuela faced charges of making “coercive threats” that included the use of weapons, causing criminal damage and being responsible for deprivation of liberty.
The 24-year-old spent three months in jail between June and September 2023 ahead of the trial.
But on Monday, a criminal court in Mercedes acquitted the singer of the kidnapping charge, which would’ve seen him face a serious stretch behind bars.
“Valenzuela has a significant influence on his environment. He is seen as a role model. There has been a lot of talk about power in this trial. And with great power comes great responsibility. The desire and purpose of this verdict is that [Valenzuela] ends up assuming a role as a role model for young people,” Judge Ignacio Racca said as he read out the sentence, bizarrely quoting a phrase popularised by the Spiderman superhero saga.
“The words the judge said are very motivating for me,”’ L-Gante told the press at the end of the hearing. “Hopefully one day I will be a great example for the youth.”
The cumbia star was ordered to make a donation to a welfare organisation, among other measures.
L-Gante is one of Argentina’s biggest modern-day music stars. An iconic figure known for his humble origin and creation of the ‘420 cumbia’ and ‘RKT’ sound, he is a leading figure in urban music.
Valenzuela has millions of monthly listeners on Spotify. He rose to fame after a collaboration with Bizarrap, the successful music producer who has dominated the local charts.
L-Gante was initially denounced by multiple individuals for various threats. Two plaintiffs claimed they kidnapped by the singer in May 2023 after an argument in the town of General Rodríguez, some 50 kilometres west of Buenos Aires.
– TIMES/AFP
