The Venezuelan singer José Luis Rodríguez “El Puma” was removed from an American Airlines flight at the airport in Quito, Ecuador, following an alleged altercation with crew members before the takeoff of the flight to Miami on November 24.
In the videos shared on social media, the 82-year-old performer is seen talking to the passengers while stating that he "doesn't feel well," to which the pilot firmly responds: “Get off my plane right now! You can't do this in front of everyone; you were very rude to our crew.”
The journalist Jessica Rodríguez reported on the program Despierta América that the incident was a misunderstanding that escalated quickly.
"According to witnesses, the singer did not understand that the crew was asking him to properly stow his luggage, and because of that dispute, he ended up being ejected from the plane by the pilot himself," he explained.
The artist's former manager, Beatriz Parga, also shared her version of the event.
He said that a passenger traveling with "El Puma" became upset over a suitcase that the singer was carrying, which contained essential medications that Rodríguez must use following the double lung transplant he underwent in 2017.
"Puma explained that he could not move the suitcase because it contained his medication, but the passenger complained, which created tension with the crew," Parga stated.
On its part, the Argentine newspaper El Clarín reported that the conflict allegedly started because the singer placed his luggage in a compartment far from his seat, and when asked to move it, “El Puma” replied that he didn't feel well, insisting that the bag contained his medical treatment.
The incident occurs just a few days after “El Puma” made a public appearance amidst the turmoil surrounding the death of his presumed unrecognized son, “El Puma Jr.”, a topic that has kept the singer's family on edge.
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