Angelo Collina wants to laugh in Spanish after all

Watching comedians perform under the control of a government that is actively attacking large swaths of its population is nothing new for Angelo Collina.

The 31-year-old narrator was born and raised in the Venezuelan city of Maracaibo, where the South American country has faced persistent political turmoil under the prolonged presidencies of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, among other economic, humanitarian and democratic challenges — such as hyperinflation, Increased rates of famine and reduced access to adequate health care services.

Colina – who has made her way in the Americas as a Spanish-speaking comedian and has received millions of views worldwide Social media Because of his witty jokes and hilarious teamwork – he left his homeland at the age of 21 and began pursuing a career in comedy after moving to neighboring Colombia.

And it was the audacity of Venezuelan actions – such as Nacho Redondo, Led Varela, Erika de la Vega, and Luis Chatting, who spoke out against oppressive government rule – that inspired Colina and informed his worldview.

“As someone who grew up watching [them] “Performing and telling jokes about the government in Venezuela while they still could, that was the example I set. They really fought censorship as much as they could,” Colina told the Times.

As a self-described “double immigrant,” first to Colombia and then to Salt Lake City, the New York-based comedian said he felt as if he had actually lived four lives — all of which helped shape his comedic eye and honed his observational skills.

The current political climate, the continued artistic acceptance of Latino art in the United States, and the ongoing raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement across the country were at the forefront of Colina’s concerns as she spoke with The Times ahead of his October 11 show at Hollywood Improv.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

What was it like presenting comedy to Spanish-speaking audiences at the time of the ICE raids?

I start my shows by saying, “We do comedy. You guys don’t notice, but we do comedy in Spanish. In the United States in 2025. This is the closest to punk we’ve ever been.” And people start laughing at him, because… [federal officials] Backed by the law to say that if you speak Spanish, they can ask about your current immigration status. And it’s like, okay, let’s talk Spanish. We’re not doing anything wrong. We just celebrate our culture in every show we do.

Do you like the idea of ​​being a little punk?

I think it has become that way; It was more organic. I didn’t think I was part of a bigger movement that other people were starting to do comedy in Spanish, which is something that always was and was definitely a cool thing for me, but now it’s definitely counter-culture. But I don’t need to invite people to my show because it’s counterculture, and that’s not why I want to sell. People have been freely celebrating being Latino for years, and I don’t think there’s any way to stop it, honestly.

Have you sensed a change in your audience at all in recent months?

Unfortunately, I have. However, I have to give a shout out to all the non-Latino people who attend the shows. They come because they want to see a form of Latin in its own rhythm and they love our culture and they come and support it.

I see hesitation showing up much more with people who are used to coming with their parents. A lot of people born in the United States, but with immigrant parents, used to come to my shows. My shows have always been a place where people can finally do something with their parents. Usually, they don’t find many activities where they can share something like this. So now their parents are the quickest at the joke and they are the ones catching up. It’s always been part of my demographic.

This is the transformation I’ve been seeing. I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me and say, “I’d love to go to your show, but I don’t think it’s a good idea right now.” I’ve had a lot of Venezuelans come to my shows and say, “This is the last show I’m going to in the United States. I’m leaving next week. I’ve got a deportation letter.” I got screenshots of it and they say they will see me in Colombia or Argentina. It was very emotional. Honestly, this might be the first time I’ve felt emotional talking about this, but it hurts a little.

It’s good for the audience to spend that time in your show being themselves, but are you dealing with the craziness of everything in your show?

I’m not pretending that doesn’t happen there. Comedy gave me the opportunity to be a resident of the United States. I got the visa because people came to my shows. It would be a shame for me not to talk about what’s going on or not to at least try to help, even if it’s by making people laugh.

Was it difficult navigating the American comedy scene as an all-Spanish act?

I would say that dealing with the industry can sometimes be more difficult due to a lack of awareness of how powerful the Latino crowd is. Fortunately, things have changed a bit because of musicians like Bad Bunny and Karol. All that artists like them did was make the people organizing the shows say: “Okay, let’s see. Maybe I won’t give the Spanish show a slot on a Tuesday night. Let me try them on a Thursday, Friday or Sunday night.” Then they see the room packed and people spending money, having a good time.

I’ve complained a lot about the industry in the past year and now I’m at a point where I just want to do this for my people for as long as possible. I just enjoy being able to perform.

How have Latinos in the United States been seen more embracing Spanish language content?

It’s not just Latinos; People of all backgrounds are interested in our culture. In Los Angeles, a lot of Latinos born here haven’t had the opportunity to learn or practice Spanish as much, but they love the culture. You also see a lot of non-Latino people on my show because they are interested in Spanish.

It’s like music. There is no merengue in English because there is no need for merengue in English. If you don’t speak Spanish and you like rhythm, you will listen to music. This happens in my show and I’m learning how to deal with it. Sometimes I see people making faces and you don’t hear the laughter coming back to you. Then the show ends and everyone sends me a direct message and then signs at the end of the message because white people like to do that.