Shakira Challenges Spain’s Tax Case, Highlighting Machismo and Sexist Double Standards in an Open Letter 

Shakira waited a year to give her side of the story in her ongoing legal battle with Spain’s Tax Agency. Now that she has spoken, she hasn’t held back. “In this short article, there’s more truth about me than in everything that was published in 2023,” she declares in a lengthy letter published in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo. The Colombian singer asserts her innocence and states that she admitted guilt in 2023 for the sake of her children, “not out of cowardice nor guilt.” She also makes strong accusations against the Spanish tax authorities, accusing them of painting her as a public villain rather than listening to her side of the story. 

What Led Her to Write This Letter?

Shakira’s legal saga dates back to 2011, when she was regularly traveling to Spain while in a relationship with footballer Gerard Piqué. She recounts that her visits were to nurture her romantic relationship, not to establish permanent residency, as the tax authorities later claimed. The dispute escalated in 2018 when the Spanish Tax Agency alleged that between 2012 and 2014, Shakira had been residing in Spain and therefore owed taxes on the majority of her worldwide income. The fraud accusations amounted to €14.5 million (approximately $15.6 million). In 2023, Shakira reached an agreement that involved admitting to the charges and paying a fine of over €7 million ($7.9 million). 

But now, Shakira is fighting back, arguing that the Spanish government used her as a scapegoat. She claims that the narrative pushed by the tax authorities was “childish and moralistic,” framing her as someone who avoided her tax obligations. Shakira insists that she has always met her financial responsibilities, noting that her finances have been scrutinized by other international institutions, none of which found any trace of illegality. 

Shakira Claims Machismo Is at the Root of the Problem with Spain

A key part of Shakira’s defense centers on what she describes as “machismo” and sexist bias within the Spanish tax authority’s treatment of her. “If a male American singer had fallen in love with a Spanish woman and visited her regularly, I find it hard to believe the Tax Agency would have considered that he had the intention to settle,” Shakira writes. “There is a structural machismo that assumes a woman can only follow a man, even when it does not benefit her.” 

Machismo, deeply rooted in Latino and Hispanic culture, refers to a strong or exaggerated sense of male pride, often resulting in the relegation of women to subordinate roles. It perpetuates gender norms that reinforce male dominance and female submission. Shakira’s reference to machismo highlights her belief that gendered assumptions influenced the tax authorities’ perception of her intentions. She believes that this was compounded by sexist bias—an ingrained belief that women should be judged differently than men, especially in matters of autonomy and decision-making. The implication that her personal decisions were less legitimate or rational than those of a man, in Shakira’s view, underpins the authorities’ pursuit of her case. 

The singer also criticized the Spanish tax authorities for publicly accusing her before her trial, which, she argues, undermined her right to the presumption of innocence. “Can we trust an institution to respect our presumption of innocence when they condemn us publicly before the verdict?” she asks in her letter. She describes her ordeal as reminiscent of a modern-day Inquisition, where public figures are “burned at the stake” to restore lost credibility. 

The Truth Sets Her Free

Despite her financial losses during her time in Spain, Shakira says her love for the country and her friends and family there remains. However, she emphasizes that her commitment to the truth outweighs personal comfort. She wrote her letter, she says, for her children, to show them that she made decisions to protect them, not out of fear or guilt. 

Finally, Shakira notes that telling her story is a way to regain control of her narrative. Paraphrasing Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, she writes, “I tell my story to live.” Just as her songs have helped her find peace, sharing her truth is her way of reclaiming her life.