"I think none of the other candidates can beat Trump." Henry Cisneros, a 72-year-old businessman and Mexican parents, former mayor of a large city (San Antonio, Texas) when almost no Latino was, a member of the Bill Clinton Government and an expert in getting housing for those who need it most, Heny Cisneros It is clear who should win the presidential elections of 2020: Joe Biden.
But, he admits, the road to the White House will not be easy.
"The next elections are more important than ever for Americans who work hard," he says in a telephone conversation with Noticias Telemundo. "With medical care, education, climate change and the economy at stake, it is increasingly clear that we need to someone in front who invests in our families, in the future of our children and in protecting our workers, ”adds Cisneros.
"I have faith that Biden is a person who will listen to our community," he said of the former vice president and chief candidate, according to polls, to be the Democratic candidate who competes in November to remove Donald Trump from the White House.
The polls indicate however that other candidates, such as Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have more support among Latinos. "They are not better individually, united yes," Cisneros asks, "but I think Biden is always going to have a high level" of support among this group.
The survey conducted by Noticias Telemundo at the end of October showed that two out of three Latinos would vote for a Democrat in November, and although there were still many (36%) who were not sure which was their favorite, Biden had 24% support, compared to 18% of Sanders or 10% of Warren. Other subsequent surveys showed, however, the greatest strength of Sanders, which also has the backing of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, very popular in the media and social networks.
One of the main criticisms against Biden in the Latino community concerns the mass deportations carried out when he was in the White House during the presidency of Barack Obama (2008-2016), which outnumber those of Trump.
“As vice president, he did not make the decisions. He was vice president and now it would be different, ”Cisneros defends him.
Biden has promised to reverse Trump's tougher immigration policies, but has also been criticized because he does not support a massive regularization of the nearly 11 million undocumented people living and working in the United States, as other Democratic candidates have instead. Nor does he want to decriminalize illegal entry into the country.
“The immigration issue is difficult, but we have to maintain the borders because it is the obligation of a country,” explains Cisneros, using an argument defended by Trump on numerous occasions.
"At the same time, we have to take action against those measures that destroy families and separate people and I think Joe Biden is going to do that," he adds.
The separation of families, executed by Trump in the spring of 2018, was stopped by a Californian judge. It is currently being carried out but only in cases where the Government determines that it is necessary to protect the safety of children.
Cisneros not only supports and defends Biden: he also has several requirements for the former vice president:
Although he has decided to support the former vice president, he has several demands. "He has to name Latin people in important positions and as cabinet members." In addition, in your opinion, you should review border policies, including the construction of the wall.
Regarding the political trial against Trump for allegedly withholding economic aid to Ukraine until this country investigated possible corrupt practices of Biden's son, Cisneros has argued that it was his “mistake” to get involved in business in that country, “it was Hunter Biden and not the former vice president. "
And regarding the international situation, beyond Ukraine and including the commercial conflict with China, the tension with Russia or North Korea, or the recent war escalation in Iran, Cisneros opts for Biden to “restore the position of the United States in the at international level".
"We are in times of danger," he concludes.