Shakira thanked her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, for honoring her with a 21-foot bronze statue in her likeness.
On Tuesday, the 46-year-old superstar responded to the major career milestone by sharing photos of her parents, William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado, standing in front of the towering sculpture.
“It gives me joy to share this with my parents and especially my mother on her birthday,” she captioned her Instagram post. “This is too much for my little heart.”
The statue, which depicts her in a bikini top and flowing skirt while shaking her hips as she did in her iconic 2005 music video for Hips Don't Lie, stands by the water in Barranquilla, where she was born and raised is.
Shakira thanked her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, for honoring her with a 21-foot bronze statue in her likeness
A dedication on the statue reads: “A heart that composes, hips that do not lie, a talent unmatched, a voice that moves masses, and feet that march for the benefit of children and humanity.”
She achieved the feat after a few tough years, which included the end of her 11-year relationship with Gerard Piqué and her father being hospitalized twice in 2022.
Last month, the Waka Waka hitmaker criticized Spanish authorities for targeting “high-profile individuals” after she was fined £6.4 million and owed £15 million in tax for financial fraud.
Shakira was handed a seven-figure fine as part of a deal that will both allow her to escape prison time and end a lengthy fraud trial in Barcelona before it even begins.
The singer, who has a net worth of around £240million, maintained her innocence but said she had made the decision to “spare my children if they saw their mother sacrificing their well-being”.
“I admire immensely those who fought these injustices to the end, but for me, victory today means reclaiming my time for my children and my career,” she said in a statement.
She also criticized Spanish authorities for pursuing her, saying her case was similar to others in which authorities had taken action against “athletes and other prominent people.” Such cases, she said, “robbed these people of their energy, time and peace for years.”
The singer will be fined £6.4 million (€7.3 million) for the six tax fraud offenses she admitted as part of the deal announced in court today, less than a third of the sum sought by prosecutors.
The statue, which depicts her in a bikini top and flowing skirt while shaking her hips as she did in her iconic 2005 music video for Hips Don't Lie, stands by the water in Barranquilla, where she was born and raised is
A dedication on the statue reads: “A heart that composes, hips that do not lie, a talent unmatched, a voice that moves masses, and feet that march for the benefit of children and humanity.”
The feat comes after a tough few years, which included the end of her 11-year relationship with Gerard Piqué and her father being hospitalized twice in 2022
Last month, the Waka Waka hitmaker criticized Spanish authorities for targeting “high-profile individuals” after she was fined £6.4 million and owed £15 million in tax for financial fraud
She had already paid back the tax that Spanish officials had accused her of evading – which, plus interest, amounted to almost £15 million (17 million euros). She must also pay a fine of £378,000 to avoid prison.
In a statement released by her representatives after the settlement was announced, the singer said: “Throughout my career, I have always strived to do the right thing and be a positive example for others.”
“This often means taking the extra step when making business and personal financial decisions to get the absolute best advice, including advice from the world's leading tax authorities, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited and Ernst & Young Global Limited, who have been my advisors throughout the entire process .”
“Unfortunately and despite these efforts, the tax authorities in Spain have initiated proceedings against me, as they have already done against many professional athletes and other high-profile individuals, robbing these people of energy, time and peace of mind for years.”
“Although I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favor, I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter in the best interests of my children, which their children do not “Mom sacrificed her personal well-being in this fight,” she added.
“I need to overcome the stress and emotional strain of the last few years and focus on the things I love – my children and all the opportunities that come my way in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album, both of which I love.” I’m very excited about it. “I have great admiration for everyone who fought against these injustices until the end, but for me, winning today means reclaiming my time for my children and my career.”
The case should focus on how much time the singer, whose hit singles include “Hips Don't Lie,” “Whenever, Wherever” and the 2010 World Cup song “Waka Waka,” spent in Spain between 2012 and 2014.
Lucky break: Shakira was sentenced to a seven-figure fine as part of a deal that allows her to avoid prison time and end a lengthy fraud trial in Barcelona before it even begins
Spanish authorities claimed Shakira – dubbed the queen of Latin pop – spent more than half of that time in Spain and therefore should have paid taxes in the country.
They said she moved to Spain after her relationship with former FC Barcelona star defender Gerard Pique became public in 2011, but maintained her official tax residence in the Bahamas until 2015.
In its indictment, prosecutors alleged that Shakira used “a number of companies” based in tax havens “with the intention of not paying taxes in Spain.”
Shakira was named in the “Paradise Papers” leaks, which detailed the offshore tax arrangements of numerous high-profile individuals, including music stars such as Madonna and U2's Bono.
Shakira's defense team, Barcelona-based firm Molins Defensa Penal, said in November 2022 that she did not spend more than 60 days per year in the country during the period in question, adding that she should have spent half the year in Spain are considered tax residents.
Her defense argued that she led a “nomadic life” much of the time from Barcelona while on a world tour in 2011 and then spent much time in the United States as a judge on the NBC television music talent show “The Voice.”
Shakira's lawyers said she only moved permanently to Barcelona shortly before the birth of her second son in January 2015.
“I paid everything they said I had to pay before they even filed a lawsuit. So to this day I don't owe them anything anymore,” she told Elle magazine in 2022.
The singer, who has a net worth of around £240million, maintained her innocence but said she had made the decision to “spare my children if they saw their mother sacrificing their well-being”.
Spanish prosecutors disagreed, and investigating judge Marco Juberías wrote in 2021 at the conclusion of the three-year investigation into the allegations that he believed there was “sufficient evidence of criminality” to bring the case to trial.
Shakira defended her innocence when questioned by Juberías in 2019.
Last year she lost an appeal to have the case dismissed.
The public prosecutor's office demanded a prison sentence of eight years and two months and a fine of almost 24 million euros for the singer.
Shakira's PR firm said she had already paid off all her debts (€14.5 million) and a further €3 million (around £2.6 million) in interest.
Together with the €7.6 million fine and the €432,000 to avoid a prison sentence, this amounts to around €25.5 million – meaning she ultimately paid back slightly more than prosecutors had asked for.
Shakira had rejected an offer from prosecutors to settle her case in July 2022, saying through her Spanish PR firm Llorente y Cuenca that she “believes in her innocence and chooses to leave the matter to the law.”
The details of this potential deal have not been disclosed.