A controversy has caused quite a stir in social media after a comic strip was cancelled by one of the newspapers from Puerto Rico’s media conglomerate GFR Media.

According to newspaper Primera Hora, their management decided to cancel the strip because their commitment is to promote a space to discuss ideas, but that this practice should not lack sensibility or encourage attacks against our fellow citizens.

The controversy in social media began in July 11, 2017, after the comic strip ‘Pepito’ mentioned NPP representative María Milagros Charbonier, comparing her to a trashcan.

According to Charbonier and her followers, these expressions incite gender-based violence and should be censored. This in turn prompted House Speaker Johnny Méndez to write a letter to GFR President María Luisa Ferré Rangel demanding a public apology.

‘I acknowledge the rights involved in having free speech and freedom of press, but it should not be an excuse to offend a Puerto Rican woman who chose to serve her country. I urge you to promote dignity and unity,’ the legislative leader said in his letter.

The newspaper’s management immediately decided to cancel the contract they had held with the cartoonist for almost 10 years.

The comic strip’s creators made a statement in their official Facebook page to explain that the strip in question had undergone review from the editorial team at Primera Hora, and that they had not been given a chance to discuss what had happened.

‘Government-related pressure groups have campaigned to end this project, claiming it fosters violence against women. These claims overlook the strip’s historical record of active protests to improve living conditions for Puerto Rican women and safeguard their rights,’ the creators remarked.

The comic strip ‘Pepito’ is renowned for its quality in and outside the island. Awards garnered include those granted by the Asociación de Fotoperiodistas de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Photojournalist Association), the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (selected for an art exhibition), and UNESCO (for its contribution to education and culture). Their mobilization and communications campaigns have also earned awards in the most important publicity festivals in the world, including Cannes, the London International Awards, and Clio.

Charbonier’s social media has posted several tweets thanking the newspaper for kindly cancelling the comic strip at her and her followers’ insistence.