Venezuela Grants Posthumous Citizenship to Dominican Merengue Star Rubby Pérez

Venezuela on Sunday granted posthumous citizenship to Dominican merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died in April when the ceiling of a nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed during one of his performances.

The collapse at the Jet Set club resulted in a total of 236 deaths, and two of the club's owners have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Pérez was on stage at the time of the tragedy. Known for hits such as “Volveré”, “Enamorado de Ella”, and “Buscamos tus besos”, he made millions dance across the Caribbean, especially in his native Dominican Republic.

He was a beloved figure in Venezuela, where he built a musical career spanning over 40 years. During his funeral, his coffin was draped with both the Venezuelan and Dominican flags.

President Nicolás Maduro presented the late artist’s national identity card and a medal of honor to his daughter, Zulinka Pérez, during a ceremony in Caracas, according to state media reports.

“He used to say, ‘Mommy, you’re going to love Venezuela; you’ll love them the way they loved me. That’s my second homeland,’” Zulinka Pérez said, noting that Venezuelan citizenship was something her father had long “dreamed of.”

A court has postponed until Wednesday the hearing that will determine how the siblings Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, detained last Thursday, will be prosecuted. The prosecutor’s office is seeking pre-trial detention for Antonio and house arrest for Maribel.

Earlier in June, the singer’s family publicly demanded justice for Rubby Pérez and the other victims of the disaster.

Relatives of the deceased have filed more than 80 civil lawsuits against the Espaillat family—a powerful Dominican clan with holdings in media, restaurants, and other sectors.