Tom Pérez is an authorized voice of the Joe Biden government to speak to the Latino community. Not only for having been the first president of the Democratic National Committee of Hispanic origin, but for having held several public functions such as Barack Obama's Secretary of Labor. Now, the current Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House accumulates decades of experience holding positions in government at the local, state and federal levels. With the excuse of the presidential speech for the State of the Union, Pérez spoke with LPO to defend the Democratic management towards the Latino community and how the Biden-Harris government has "changed the lives of minorities."

Pérez replaces Julie Chávez Rodríguez, the granddaughter of the historic Latino civil and labor rights activist César Chávez, who last April was appointed as campaign director for Biden's re-election in 2024.

Pérez, a son of Dominican immigrants born in Buffalo, New York, has certificates from Brown University (Rhode Island), the Law School, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (Massachusetts), and was a member of Senator Ted Kennedy's staff (1932-2009).

Entretelones de la disputa minuto a minuto que libran Biden y Trump para captar el voto de la comunidad latina

Additionally, in the last years of President Bill Clinton's administration (1993-2001), Pérez was director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services. And in 2022, with the support of the Latino Victory Fund organization and several union organizations, he sought the Democratic Party's candidacy for the government of Maryland, but lost the race in the party's primaries.

President Biden invested a lot in infrastructure, more than any president since Eisenhower. And also freedom... it is something that we are going to discuss - and we have to discuss -, because the president is working hard to protect a woman's right to choose.

Why is it so difficult for you to communicate the results of the administration to voters?

Because the reality is that we are in a far better position to discuss exactly where we were in 2021, when the administration began, how far we have come, and what we still have to do. You remember well that during the pandemic the economy was in a very, very serious condition. Today we have more than 15 million jobs. The unemployment rate for Latinos has greatly improved. It was more or less 9% in 2021, today it is 5%. Our community has more access to health insurance. If you suffer from diabetes, for example, you only pay $35 per month. President Biden invested a lot in infrastructure, more than any president since Eisenhower. And also freedom... it is something that we are going to discuss - and we have to discuss -, because the president is working hard to protect a woman's right to choose. In 2016, Donald Trump said that he was going to eliminate this right. It is very, very important, not only for women, but for families. And Joe Biden is also going to discuss this.

AP

How will you reverse this idea that with Biden people are worse off?

The differences between the candidates are 100% and I understand your question about perception. And what we're going to do today and every day after is to travel to all the places, we're going to spend time in Arizona, for example, discussing what's happening. So many people have new jobs that pay more than $100,000 in Arizona because Joe Biden and the Democrats passed the Chips and Science Act. So many people elsewhere have access to the Internet and it is impossible for young people to learn if they do not have Internet. And the president invested billions of dollars. Many, many, many more Latinos now have businesses, small businesses have grown so much in our community. We have to talk more.

"Debemos explicar que para un latino votar por Trump es votar en contra de sus propios intereses"

So, do you think there is a deficit in how the message reaches people?

Many people are living their lives every day. They don't spend much time in politics. So what we have to do is explain exactly what we are doing. Explain our values and the differences in values between the candidates, which are 100%. And I am confident that people in the United States will understand the importance of voting and the importance of what Joe Biden did to improve their lives.

The Latino vote is so important. It is growing a lot, and in 2020 Joe Biden won more or less with 68% of the Latino vote in the country. And now we are talking to them. I spend a lot of time with the community.

Additionally, the Latino vote was and continues to be key for you. How do you see it playing out in this election?

Yes, the Latino vote is very important. It is growing a lot and in 2020 Joe Biden won more or less with 68% of the Latino vote in the country. And now we are talking to them. I spend a lot of time with the community. Last week I was in Tucson, Arizona, with Mayor Regina Romero talking about all the things they are doing to improve life in the community. Things we are working on together. Infrastructure, more funding to improve public education, more funding for crime challenges. And so many more people today, thanks to Joe Biden, have access to insulin, cheap insulin for the diabetes that plagues our community.

And when we often talk about the changes that have improved community life and Joe Biden's values, the president will never separate parents and children at the border. It's such an inhuman thing. And these are the conversations we must have. And Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are going to continue these discussions. The difference, what I have often said, is that the differences are 100%. Specifically for the Latino community, the difference is 200%.

Translation: Bibiana Ruiz.