“Happy Birthday to you, Venezuela Beautiful Mission,” singing Nicolas Maduro at the first anniversary of that mission. In that event, he announces the creation from movement Merengue Heart, with Omar Enrique as it’s president. A hug between Maduro and the singer would seal the role of the artist with the Bolivarian revolution: directing and producing musical events.
Since his beginnings as a singer and songwriter, Omar Enrique had to dedicate himself to merengue music. His creations have been inspiring by love and women. His musical career began in Venezuela, where he gets the nickname “Merengue Prince.” His success took him to other countries and allowed him to work with international artists like Elvis Crespo and Eddy Herrera.
However, Omar Enrique is not only known for his songs but also his links with the Bolivarian revolution. He wrote and participated in music themes like Chavez’s heart of people, Chavez is you, Maduro, from the heart, Let’s go, my people-among others- to Chavez and Maduro’s campaign.
By those links, in 2019, the Colombia migration department prevented him from entering the country when he had a show in Barranquilla carnival. Omar Enrique is in the list of people close to Nicolas Maduro, and thas why the officers did not allow his income.
After that, in an interview in a Colombian network, Omar Enrique said he’s not linked with Nicolas Maduro. “I do not say political opinions, I’m not using my social media to make political proselytism, and I’m not going to Colombia to talk about politic,” he would say to the media.
For that, the actor and president from House of Artists, Roberto Messuti, pointed him and criticized his statement. In a WhatsApp voice note, Mesutti accusing the merengue singer to lack of courage to support Bolivarian revolution: “you talk with fear, and go that you have benefited from the revolution.” However, Maduro asked to Mesutti solidarity with Omar Enrique.
Omar Enrique not only goes up to the stages, but he is also interested in business. According to the Third Business Registry from Maracaibo, he has a company called GM Show Productions, which produces musical or artistic events, both public or privates.
However, it looks like he prefers public shows. He organized events to the chavism government even when his company is disqualifying. He also made private shows to Security forces to the State, he is trying to reactivate musical festivals, and now he is leading a movement that people do not know how it works.
Merengue Heart
On January 30th, 2012, Nicolas Maduro announced the Merengue Heart Movement, with Omar Enrique at the head. In the act, the singer thanked Maduro “for the peace and the dialogue.”
Merengue Heart had its origins in 2005 when began the creation of several governmental foundations. The first movement was Llanero Heart, a platform to spread and investigate the Venezuelan folklore music, according to the former culture ministry, Freddy Ñanez.
The next year, the government creating the movements Salsa Heart, Rocker Heart, and Urban Heart. The captain Juan Escalona, a former military officer from Chavez and Maduro, is in charge of these foundations. All of them under the gaze of the Presidential Commission of the Movement for Peace and Life, attached to the Presidency Office’s, whose secretary is former basketball player Alexander Vargas.
On February 27th, El Pitazo asked for an interview with Alexander Vargas, but it has no response. Also, they delivered a letter to Omar Enrique in the Presidency Office to know more details about the movement he presides, but once again, it had no answer.
It is not known how much money the government approval for these foundations since 2016. But in April 2017, in the twitter account of Nicolas Maduro press, it announced the approval of 5.705 million bolivares, which would be equivalent to about 7.5 million dollars at that time.
Omar Enrique promised to travel for all Venezuela with Merengue Heart. “We are doing this, with a lot of people’s support, we want to give our support to all that artists starting in merengue’s world, which is a wonderful world that everybody dances.”
However, no more details released about the working of Merengue Heart or the people involved in this new movement.
El Pitazo tried to contact with Omar Enrique and his manager Eduardo Beleño through their Instagram accounts and phone numbers but never got an answer.
This is original research by Daniel Benitez.
You can read the full article in Spanish clicking this link.
