(Bloomberg) –Los Angeles City Councilmember Nury Martinez resigned under pressure on Wednesday after getting caught making racist comments about a colleague’s son on a leaked recording.
“Serving you has been a privilege and one that I don’t give up lightly,” Martinez, 49, said in a statement. “It’s hard to say goodbye, but please know that I was in this fight for you.”

The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday that Martinez can be heard in a recording of a private meeting comparing Councilmember Mike Bonin’s Black child to a “changuito,” which means little monkey in Spanish, and referring to Oaxacan immigrants as “short little dark people.” Martinez, the first Latina to serve as president of the city council, made these comments during a 2021 meeting with two other council members, Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, and LA County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera.

All have apologized for the statements. Herrera resigned from his position on Monday. Martinez earlier stepped down as council president but maintained her seat, taking a leave of absence instead.

President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to visit Los Angeles this week, called for Martinez to resign, as did Mayor Eric Garcetti and the two candidates running to replace him, Karen Bass and Rick Caruso. The divisive comments caused protestors to gather in and around City Hall on Tuesday calling for all three councilmembers to step down.

The controversy is the latest to sweep America’s second-largest city. Two former councilmembers have been accused of corruption and another pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. Garcetti’s nomination as ambassador to India has been stalled by accusations of harassment made against a former aide.

The incident also underscores long festering complaints about racial inequality and social justice in the city and nationally. Their conversation included ways to carve up city council districts in a way that gave Latinos more clout. Los Angeles is 48% Hispanic or Latino, and about 9% Black, according to US Census data.

A majority of Black Americans said the national attention on racial inequality following the George Floyd protests has not led to life changing improvements, according to a 2021 Pew Research survey. The same survey states 68% say discrimination is why Black people cannot thrive.

To contact the author of this story:
Omose Ighodaro in New York at oighodaro2@bloomberg.net