Mamdani-endorsed candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, age 32, is expected to win the Democratic primary for New York’s 13th Congressional District.
Chevalier abruptly left a Spanish-language radio interview with La Mega 97.9 on Tuesday after being questioned about a deleted post where she shared her negative views on Dominican nationalism. It’s worth noting that Chevalier is the daughter of Dominican immigrants.
In a post from 2022, she reportedly said, “This nationalism is why I don’t put that Dominican flag in my bio; it’s violent, and nothing good can come from it.”
When a host pressed her to “address the Dominican community that might feel hurt by her past statements,” she sidestepped the issue, expressing regret about some of her past social media comments and shifting to a broader topic about community justice.
Another host reminded her, “What really hurt us Dominicans was the situation with the flag.”
The hosts continued to push for her response, leading Chevalier to end the interview. “I’m not going to sit here and be yelled at by multiple people,” she stated before wishing them a “beautiful day,” removing her headphones, and exiting.
This brings up an interesting question: What’s so controversial about a far-left candidate denouncing nationalism?
The straightforward answer is: nothing, as long as the nationalism in question doesn’t involve a non-white group.
One commentator noted that it’s ironic; Chevalier, educated at Columbia, understands nationalism is problematic, but fails to grasp that nationalism expressed by non-white groups is, generally speaking, seen positively.
The Democratic Socialists of America criticize the “nationalist far right” and “Christian nationalist right.” Among leftist circles, denouncing nationalism—similarly to denouncing colonialism or racism—is typically unproblematic.
An article from the socialist magazine Jacobin acknowledges the left’s aversion to patriotism, indicating that the left also generally harbors an aversion to nationalism.
Chevalier has solid leftist credentials; she identifies as a “working-class Afro-Latina organizer” and attended Columbia University, where she co-founded Columbia University Apartheid Divest. This group openly sought the eradication of Western civilization. She is affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America and has promoted a vision of “a world without borders, prisons, or police,” calling it essential and moral. Furthermore, she has advocated for confiscating properties from landlords and condemned all deportations.
Given her background, it aligns with Chevalier’s beliefs to oppose nationalism. She simply extended her anti-nationalist views—likely influenced by discussions at Columbia and other platforms—to the context of the Dominican Republic.
However, this move displays a level of political naivety. It’s easy to criticize nationalism in primarily white contexts, but denouncing nationalist sentiments among Latino communities is a different matter, especially for someone striving for their votes.
La Mega host Excarlet Molina expressed being “offended” by Chevalier’s tweet.
This raises the question: Did Molina have the same reaction to Chevalier’s other tweets, where she referred to the U.S. as a “fucking disgrace” or shared a moment where she wiped her hands on an American flag?
Chevalier’s comments about the U.S. were certainly more caustic than her remarks about the Dominican Republic. Yet, Dominican-Americans like Molina seem to prioritize Chevalier’s views on the Dominican Republic over her opinions about the U.S.
This situation is rather revealing—showing that a candidate’s stance on a foreign nation can weigh heavily in an American political race.
