Taco Bell

News Release

TACO Bell's Dinky is Not Offensive to Hispanics

LULAC President Asserts that the national
Hispanic organization has no plans for a boycott

CONTACT, Selena Walsh, (202) 408-0060

For Immediate Release, 3/8/98

WASHINGTON -- The National President of the League of United Latin American Citizens, this country's largest and oldest Hispanic membership organization, denied press reports that the organization has called on Taco Bell to stop running commercials that feature a Spanish-speaking Chihuahua named Dinky.

"At no time has the LULAC National Board of Directors nor any of the LULAC national staff called on Taco Bell to stop running commercials which feature a Chihuahua," stated Belen Robles, LULAC National President. "The commercials did not even come up for discussion at our February Board meeting. This is a non-issue for LULAC. We have many more important substantive things to worry about."

"While a local LULAC member from Florida made some statements to the Tampa Tribune expressing displeasure with the commercials, he was in no way speaking on behalf of the national organization," stated Brent Wilkes, LULAC National Executive Director. "These statements were only the opinions of one member of LULAC and not a position taken by the organization as some press reports have implied."

"I personally do not find the commercials offensive," stated Ms. Robles, "and I suspect that most members in LULAC would agree with me since the commercials have been airing for some time and I have not received any complaints from our members. LULAC has a good working relationship with Taco Bell and I seriously doubt that they would intentionally air something that is offensive to the Hispanic community."

###