San Diego, Aug 8 (IANS): Since Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump made his controversial remarks about Mexicans, the pinata fashioned to look like him has been a must-have at Latino parties, where it is given a few whacks for what he thinks about immigrants.

"In the 14 years we have been making pinatas, this is the first time we have had one that is so much in demand," Efe news agency quoted Gustavo Magana, owner of the family business Mini Bazar Yamima in San Diego where this model is selling like hotcakes, as saying.

The first customer to order one at this store did it two days after the real estate mogul announced his candidacy in June in a controversial speech in which he harshly criticised Mexico and immigrants from the Aztec nation.

"When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best. They are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists," Trump said.

Since then the demand for Trump pinatas has soared so much that it is hard to find one unless the order is placed in advance.

"They're constantly asking for them - those we have fly off of the shelves," the merchant, a native of the western Mexican state of Jalisco, said.

"By wanting to do us harm, he only does our business good," said Magana, who markets this product at between $30 and $45, depending whether it is covered with papier-mache or is hand painted.