The Republican congresswoman María Elvira Salazar granted a lengthy interview to George Harris for the program of Venezuelan comedian "Palabras Ciertas," in which she once again addressed President Donald Trump directly.
The conversation comes at one of the tensest moments between Salazar and the White House.
On September 17, the congresswoman recorded a bilingual video in front of the White House warning the president: "Mr. President, your immigration policies have gone too far. In July, your administration detained fifty thousand people, and half of them had no criminal record."
Trump responded the next day: "Yes, I support her, and yes, I have seen it. I do not agree with her"; and he added that "Maria won only thanks to me."
Trump, Lincoln, and Immigration Reform
Far from softening his stance, Salazar maintained in this week's interview with the Venezuelan comedian a tone of direct warning, although he did not abandon his support for the president.
"I know that President Trump can be to immigration what Lincoln was to slavery, because the man has the political courage to do it and because he is very brave,” he affirmed.
But in the same breath, he issued a blunt warning:
"Mr. President, the reality is that you do not understand, but the magnitude of the issue is very large and you are not aware because your advisors have not explained the complete picture of how the laws are being exceeded."
The warning became even more interesting because, amid her direct words to Trump, María Elvira addressed her little dog, who was present in the studio:
"Mr. President... [Don't lose your temper, Toby]... Mr. President, you just don't understand..."
Salazar was precise in pointing out where the application of the law is being exceeded.
"The president promised three things. The border that is closed, that there would be mass deportation. There are 600,000 people with criminal records that we can go after, but not the people who have been helping in the economy for 30 years, 20 years, who do not have a criminal record," he added.
The Panic in Doral and the Dignity Law
The congresswoman starkly described the climate of fear in Hispanic communities of Miami: “People no longer drive; they take Uber to work, they don’t want to take their children to school, they are terrified to go to the supermarket.”
And he added that this fear extends even to his own office: "That directly affects me in my congressional office where there are sometimes people waiting outside the door before we open because some of their family members have already been taken. But no, that cannot happen in the United States."
In light of that situation, Salazar insisted on her Dignity Law as the only solution: a temporary legal status for immigrants without a criminal record that would allow them to work, reside, and travel.
“This is dignity, not amnesty. This is dignity, not amnesty. I have been in this for five years,” he emphasized. The law requires 218 votes in Congress and has the support of Democrat Verónica Escobar from Texas.
Venezuela, Delcy, and Trump's "new outline"
About Venezuela, Salazar defended Maduro's capture as Trump's greatest regional achievement: "Trump was interested in sending three Blackhawks helicopters to extract Maduro after they told him, 'Hey, go to Belarus, hey, go here, hey, go.' And he didn't leave. And we got him out. That's what needs to be remembered."
In light of the discontent over the praise Trump gave Delcy Rodríguez following their meeting in New York during the UN General Assembly, Salazar provided his interpretation.
«The big picture is that Maduro is not here. And that Delcy is going to do what Trump tells her. Because Delcy knows she doesn't have the army behind her. She was a puppet.»
Harris put the congresswoman on the spot, and Zalazar didn’t hesitate to specify what he would say to Delcy Rodríguez if he encountered her in the halls of the UN.
He says he would tell her: “Madam Acting President, you are the person we need to start organizing the upcoming elections.”
About María Corina Machado, Salazar revealed that he spoke with her recently: "Life is long and María Corina will reach Miraflores, without a doubt, sooner rather than later."
Salazar also issued a direct warning to the leadership of the Cuban regime: "Raúl Castro has been indicted by a grand jury. The legal framework to pursue him is already in place. This is the same as what happened with Maduro."
The interview takes place while Trump shared this Saturday an article from the Washington Post that documents Salazar's electoral struggle in District 27, where an internal poll shows her and the Democratic candidate tied at 45% among likely voters.
Las tensiones entre María Elvira Salazar y la Casa Blanca reflejan el debate que sigue marcando el rumbo del país. Sigue toda la actualidad sobre para mantenerte informado sobre las políticas y sus efectos en la comunidad.
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