Pence launches “Latinos for Trump” coalition in Miami

Miami — US Vice President Mike Pence launched this Tuesday in Miami a Latino coalition that will campaign for the reelection of President Donald Trump with promises that he will fight for a country that is not socialist and will finish the first 400 miles of border wall by the end of 2020.

“America will never be a socialist country,” the Republican assured Latinos, mostly Cuban-Americans but also Venezuelan, Colombian and Argentine residents in a state with a 20-percent immigrant population

In a speech of more than half an hour, Pence got the most applause when he talked about building the wall, the fight against socialism in Cuba and Venezuela, protection of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution that guarantees the right to bear arms, and when he criticized Democrats and the press.

To cries of “Down with socialism”...”Build the wall”...”USA”...”Four more years” and “Freedom,” Pence presented Latinos for Trump as “one of the most important coalitions” of the campaign to keep Trump in the White House.

Pence thanked the Hispanics of Florida for electing Trump in a state that has no predictable voting pattern and could give the win to either of the two parties.

In 2016 the real-estate magnate came away with a 1.2 percent lead in Florida over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Attending Tuesday’s event were the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, Jennifer Gonzalez Colon, and the lieutenant governor of Florida, the Cuban-American Jeanette Nuñez , who praised the fact that under the Trump government, “the Sunshine State has experienced a real and lasting impact - adding more than 417,000 new jobs, and with unemployment reaching historic lows of 3.3 percent.”

Recalling that both he and President Trump are descendants of immigrants, Pence said the Republican has been strong on the migration issue despite the “obstruction” of funding by the Democrats.

He said historic investments have been made in border security, and that more than 400 miles of wall will have been built by the end of next year.

In that sense he also criticized the press, which, he said, has echoed Democrats in saying the border crisis is fabricated by Republicans.

With cries in the background of “traitors” directed at the press, Pence said that Trump is taking definitive decisions to stop illegal immigration and several times praised the agents of Customs & Border Protection (CBP).

“Latino and Hispanic Americans believe in law and order,” he said, and “a nation without borders is not a nation.”

The vice president also noted that “Latin Americans know better than most about the cost of socialism. It’s impoverished generations and stolen the liberty of millions.”

He then slammed the proposals of the 20 Democrats vying to become their party’s presidential candidate, and whose first debate, organized by the NBC network, will be held this Wednesday and Thursday in Miami.

Democrats will “advocate more taxes, more regulations, something called Medicare for All and the Green New Deal,” Pence said, adding that “I think you all know what Medicare For All really means, it means quality healthcare for none. And the only thing green about the Green New Deal is how much green it’s going to cost all of us if they ever sign it into law.”

Nuñez for her part recalled that Trump was the first to recognize Juan Guaido, speaker of the Venezuelan National Assembly, as the interim president of that country.

In response, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said that Trump’s “agenda has been toxic” for the Latino community, in that he threatens to eliminate the Affordable Care Act and because of his attitude in general toward immigrants.