Donald Trump’s plan to negotiate a mechanism whereby funds from Mexico or Mexican nationals pay for the border wall between that country and the United States was the subject of a completely one-sided segment on Univision anchor Jorge Ramos’ weekly public affairs program, Al Punto.
The principal featured “expert” on the subject interviewed by Ramos for the segment was Jorge Mario Cabrera, of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) Action Fund, a political action organization that features its hate for the Republican frontrunner prominently on its home page, and runs voter registration/get out the vote (GOTV) drives. One of the CHIRLA Fund’s Board members is Marcelo Gaete-Tapia, a veteran GOTV operative and Vice President for Public and Governmental Affairs at Entravision, owner of the largest group of Univision affiliate television stations in the country.
In addition to the CHIRLA official, Ramos also featured another diatribe against Trump by former President of Mexico Vicente Fox.
VICENTE FOX, FORMER PRESIDENT OF MEXICO: He then takes decisions based on his stomach, his guts, at will, plain and simple because he's a xenophobe, a discriminator, and that has gripped him to hate Mexicans.
Neither Fox, CHIRLA’s Cabrera nor Ramos recognized any legitimate border security concerns over the current state of affairs at the border, nor the United States’ sovereign interests in negotiating and implementing border security improvements with Mexico.
The segment was yet another example of Jorge Ramos' modus operandi in recent months: that of full bore malignment of Trump’s proposals and goading guests to bash Trump over and over.
Below are the relevant portions of the segment aired in the April 10 edition of Univision's Al Punto:
AL PUNTO
4/10/16
10:27:06 – 10:34:57 AM EST | 7 MIN 50 SEC
JORGE RAMOS, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: Donald Trump said this week in a statement that if he becomes president, he will block all remittances by undocumented immigrants from the U.S. to Mexico. The blockade would continue until Mexico pays up to $10 billion dollars for the construction of a wall between the two countries. The measure has been strongly criticized, including Jorge Mario Cabrera, spokesman for the CHIRLA Action Fund. Mario, thanks for being with us again.
JORGE MARIO CABRERA, CHIRLA: And to you, thank you very much.
JORGE RAMOS, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: Let us first see what exactly Donald Trump said in a statement that was sent to the Washington Post, he said the following, “It's an easy decision for Mexico. Make one payment of between $5 and $10 billion dollars to ensure the annual flow of remittances.” “No foreigner can send money outside the United States unless they demonstrate legal presence in the country.” And finally, he concludes, "Even a small increase in fees for visas would finance the wall. This includes an increase for the more than one million border crossing cards that are issued each year.” In short, Jorge Mario, he wants to block sending money to Mexico from Mexicans here. Your reaction?
JORGE MARIO CABRERA, CHIRLA: Well the CHIRLA Action Fund has branded these new plans as sticking a finger into the sore that bleeds among immigrants in the United States, who come from many countries, obviously including Mexico and Central America, and its life relationship with their loved ones in these countries. Remittances are the aorta between migrants and their loved ones, those dollars we send every week, every month, they allow our loved ones stay out of poverty, out of violence, and more importantly not immigrate to U.S. This preposterous proposal is silly, but must be taken seriously because this man wants to be president of our great nation.
…
JORGE RAMOS, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: The former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, agreed with you and had this to say:
VICENTE FOX, EX-PRESIDENT OF MEXICO: The day the United States begins to restrict the free movement of remittances, or currency, or money that people want to use, it will have completely changed the paradigm towards disaster in the United States itself. He then takes decisions based on his stomach, his guts, at will, plain and simple because he's a xenophobe, a discriminator, and that has gripped him to hate Mexicans.
