I remember a time when Univision would ban even the smallest word in English language in favor of a Spanish-only policy. But now, as the network prepares to host this Sunday’s first-of-a-kind debate among Democratic presidential candidates, it has asked the only candidate who is fluent in Spanish to forget about it.

According to an ABC story this morning, Univision is asking Mexico-born Bill Richardson to refrain from showing off his Spanish-language skills. Questions will be asked and answered in English, and then translated into Spanish for Univision’s TV, radio and online platforms. (I wonder if the network has some system in place by which a hand would come out slapping he or she who incurs in a language violation.)

Poor Bill. I guess this was his chance to show Latinos that despite being called Richardson, he actually speaks Spanish, has a Mexican mother and was raised in Mexico City. That would help the governor a great deal as currently six in 10 Latinos never heard of him, according to a USA Today/Gallup June poll.