00:07A very special greeting to everyone tuning in to this new installment of interviews.
00:12El Espectador. Today we are joined by a very important figure within the House of Representatives.
00:17from the United States, who has closely followed the development of Colombian politics and who
00:21He agreed to speak with us just days before the crucial midterm elections in the United States
00:25United. This is Gregory Meeks, of the Democratic Party, who is the highest-ranking member.
00:30in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, that is, the counterpart
00:35from the chairman of the same committee, now led by Republicans.
00:38Congressman Meeks, thank you for joining us for El Espectador Interviews.
00:42Thank you, thank you for joining me.
00:44Okay, so there must have been several attempts to disrupt the US elections,
00:51First, by our president Abelardo de las Priegas and others, such as Argentina, Javier
00:56Milley, what do you think is going on with this?
01:00Well, I don't know what's going on, what's going on, what's going on, what's going on.
01:03You know, I know that, unfortunately, the President of the United States seems
01:07It will also be interfering with the elections of individuals.
01:09And I think we should be out of the elections, other than the elections of the
01:15useful from other countries, while the people of the respects of the respects
01:18to determine who they are, not the outsiders from different countries.
01:23And that was my point, which I would also like the President of Colombia to make.
01:31the president of Argentina, the president of the United States,
01:34that, well, let's not even talk about the choice of elections in electoral politics.
01:52No, no, no, no, no.
02:24No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
02:39And I wanted to have this conversation because, of course, I wanted to give my condolences for those who were
02:46devastated by the earthquake that just took place.
02:49and have a conversation about what was happening
02:53or what would happen
02:54with reference to those who were victimized
02:56by this earthquake.
02:57So we talked about it.
02:58He explained to me a friendship that he's had
03:01with a particular person,
03:03that he understood the significance and importance
03:06of having a bipartisan relationship
03:08with the United States,
03:09with both Democrats and Republicans,
03:11and that he looked forward to working
03:13in a collective way,
03:14both Democrats and Republicans.
03:17And I, too, said that's exactly
03:19the kind of relationship that I wanted
03:21and that I looked forward to continuing to work with
03:24and help Colombia as I have
03:26over my entire 28 years in Congress.
03:30And so we talked about his Marshall Plan
03:34that he wanted to put forward
03:35in, for example, in Choco and on the Pacific Coast
03:39to help all of those individuals
03:41that were devastated by it.
03:42So when I want to support that,
03:44I want to support resources
03:46that will go to Colombia
03:48and in those areas.
03:50You know, the Secretary of State, Rubio,
03:52had pledged a billion dollars to Colombia
03:55at the president's inauguration,
03:58which I was happy to attend.
03:59And so I want to make sure
04:01that a significant amount of that money,
04:03of which I will help, you know,
04:05try to make sure we pass
04:06in the House of Representatives
04:08when it comes to a vote here,
04:10but help and work with Colombia
04:16to make sure that a number of those dollars
04:19goes into these areas that were affected,
04:24along with the $25 million
04:25that I had previously approved,
04:27specifically for Choco
04:30and the Pacific Islands.
04:33Great.
04:35Colombia and the United States
04:36have a long standing relationship
04:38that had deteriorated over the past two years,
04:41but it seems to have improved recently,
04:44considering the report
04:45between Donald Trump and Abelardo Esprella.
04:48How would you characterize
04:49the relationship between both countries today?
04:52I think the relationship is strong.
04:54It continues to be strong.
04:56I think that we're going to continue
04:58to work together.
04:58We've had over 200 years,
05:00as you said, of relationships,
05:02and I think it's going to remain that way.
05:05So, again, and I think part of the reason
05:08why it is strong
05:09is because we've been able to do this
05:12in a bipartisan way,
05:14you know, whether it was President Obama,
05:17President Biden, President Trump,
05:18President Bush.
05:19We all have had a commitment.
05:21All of those presidents
05:22have had a commitment to Colombia.
05:24And whether Democrats or Republicans
05:26were in charge here
05:27in the House of Representatives
05:28and in the Senate,
05:30we've had a great relationship
05:31with Colombia.
05:34So in my conversation
05:35with President Esprella,
05:39We talked about that.
05:40and we talked about to make sure
05:41that we continue
05:42that type of relationship.
05:44And I feel confident about that.
05:46Are you concerned about Trump's role
05:48in Latin America,
05:50his influence over the region's precedents
05:53and actions such as the vessel strikes
05:55in the Pacific and the Caribbean?
05:57Absolutely, yeah.
05:58I think that what you have taken place
06:00by the Trump administration
06:03with these strikes in the sea
06:07and that allegedly
06:09It was for trying to curb
06:13narcotics, et cetera,
06:14which we are finding not to be accurate.
06:18I think that the United States' role
06:20in Venezuela,
06:23I don't agree with it.
06:24I think what we want there
06:25is the people of Venezuela
06:27to be able to have a voice
06:29to elect a president of their choice.
06:31I think that's what it should be about.
06:33So we see that this president
06:35has interceded
06:36and taken over the government
06:38of Venezuela
06:39without talking about democracy
06:41and having elections
06:43so that the people of Venezuela
06:45can elect its own leader.
06:47And we see that
06:48what President Trump is doing there
06:51is putting friends
06:53and family members, et cetera,
06:55and others in charge of
06:57whether it's Venezuelan oil
06:59or other things,
07:00as opposed to having
07:02the people of Colombia,
07:03excuse me,
07:04the people of Venezuela
07:05have their own independent elections
07:08and make a determination itself
07:10with whom she wants to partner
07:12and do business with.
07:13And of course,
07:14That is what's important
07:17and not the way
07:18that President Trump
07:19has conducted his business.
07:22And so, yes,
07:24I think that
07:26I do not like
07:28the way that President Trump
07:30is bullying
07:30and or using might
07:33as opposed to democracy
07:35in Central and South America.
07:37Have you spoken
07:38to Maria Corina Machado?
07:40No, I would reach out.
07:41I have spoken to her,
07:42But it's been a while.
07:43I would hope
07:44that she would have
07:45the opportunity
07:46to return to Venezuela.
07:48And if she wants
07:49to run for office,
07:50She should be having
07:50freedom
07:51to run for office
07:52against anybody else
07:54that wants to run for office
07:55and let the people decide.
07:57You know,
07:57I don't think
07:58that she's been treated
07:59appropriately
08:00by the Trump administration,
08:02basically still preventing her
08:04from going back
08:04to her own country
08:05in which she has fought
08:06for democracy
08:07and freedom
08:08to get the people to vote.
08:10So, no,
08:11I haven't spoken to her,
08:13but no,
08:13I do not allow,
08:15do not like
08:15How this,
08:18my president,
08:19has gotten involved
08:20in local politics
08:22of Venezuela
08:23and other countries
08:25in Central and South America.
08:28SW,
08:29Do you believe
08:30that Trump administration
08:31has actually blocked
08:33Maria Corina Mattel
08:34from returning to the country?
08:36Well,
08:36I should solely say
08:37They haven't helped
08:38her to return.
08:39SW,
08:39They've done nothing.
08:40in that regard.
08:41SW,
08:41whether you want to call
08:42that blocking or not,
08:43I don't know,
08:44But I can tell you
08:44They're not helping.
08:45her to return.
08:47And it would seem to me
08:49that the current government
08:50in Venezuela
08:51is listening to whatever
08:53the president says.
08:54SW,
08:54it becomes apparent
08:55whatever,
08:57You know,
08:57not what the people
08:58of Venezuela
08:58is asking for,
09:00because when I talk
09:01to the people
09:01of Venezuela,
09:02They want free
09:03and fair elections.
09:04That's what they have
09:05been fighting for
09:06for a long period of time.
09:07They want to be
09:08to a degree
09:09like Colombia,
09:10where they can make
09:10their own self-determinations
09:12on their leaders.
09:14And I have,
09:15You know,
09:16as I have with Colombia,
09:17been to Venezuela
09:18many times.
09:20And I know
09:21That's what the people want.
09:23free and fair elections.
09:24And that's what
09:25We should all be supporting
09:26is the people
09:27of Venezuela
09:27in that regard.
09:29Okay,
09:30Let's talk a little bit
09:30about the United States election.
09:33Are you optimistic
09:35about how Democrats
09:36will perform
09:37in the midterm election
09:38of November 3rd?
09:40I am.
09:41You know,
09:41I think that
09:42when you look
09:42at the issues
09:43That's confronting
09:44average everyday Americans,
09:46that the Trump administration
09:47and my Republican colleagues
09:49have not been
09:50on the right side.
09:51When you look
09:51at the cost of living here
09:53in the United States
09:54of America,
09:54It's extremely expensive.
09:57And the reason
09:57Why is it extremely expensive?
09:58It is because of the actions
10:00of the current president
10:01of the United States
10:02and his colleagues,
10:05the Republicans
10:05that are in the House
10:06and in the Senate.
10:08And as a result,
10:09you see that
10:09the American people
10:10are coming together
10:12to go
10:13and to,
10:14for change.
10:15They want to make sure
10:16that their things
10:17are more affordable.
10:18They want to make sure
10:19They have access
10:19to health care
10:21and they want to as well
10:22hold the president
10:23accountable.
10:25And unfortunately,
10:26many individuals,
10:27especially on the House side
10:29and the Senate side,
10:30the Republicans,
10:31are blocking those things
10:32and preventing those things
10:33from happening.
10:34Therefore,
10:35They are,
10:36You know,
10:37in partnership
10:38with Donald Trump.
10:40That's when they allow him
10:42to go into wars
10:43that were not
10:45authorized by Congress.
10:47When they have him
10:48raising tariffs
10:49against allies
10:51and friends
10:52across the world.
10:53When they see
10:54that he is with
10:55Vladimir Putin
10:56against Ukraine,
10:58that the average
10:59American citizen,
11:00Democrats and Republicans
11:02and independents,
11:03I don't want to continue
11:05in that direction.
11:06So those individuals
11:07will be moving,
11:08I think,
11:09and voting for Democrats
11:10across the board
11:12so that we can make sure
11:13that we have
11:14more representation
11:16that reflects
11:19the will of the people
11:20but also members
11:22of Congress
11:22that will hold
11:24the president accountable.
11:27Okay.
11:28And what can the Hispanic
11:29and immigrant communities
11:31expect from
11:32the Democratic Party
11:33regardless of whether
11:35the Democrats
11:36win the election or not?
11:37Well, look,
11:38what we are for
11:39and I've been long for
11:40that we needed
11:42comprehensive immigration
11:44reform so that we
11:45could make sure
11:46that we are making
11:47the process easier
11:48for individuals
11:49to legally immigrate
11:52into the United States
11:53of America.
11:54We were built
11:55as a country
11:55based upon immigrants
11:57And we want to make sure
11:58that we are not,
11:59You know,
12:00utilizing
12:02a process
12:03and policy
12:04that, you know,
12:06separates families,
12:08that treats immigrants
12:09as if all of them
12:10are criminals.
12:11You know,
12:12clearly,
12:12I think that if you're here
12:13and you've committed a crime,
12:15We want folks
12:16to be returned
12:16back to where,
12:18You know,
12:19if they have not been here legally,
12:20then go back
12:21to where they are,
12:22where they
12:24have citizenship.
12:25But we don't want
12:26to do it
12:27in a cruel
12:27and inhumane way
12:29that we see
12:30that this president
12:30and how he's utilizing
12:33the immigration process
12:37and ICE
12:38treating immigrants
12:40and many American citizens
12:41the same
12:42as if all of those
12:43are criminals
12:44and just returning people,
12:46some, you know,
12:47into places
12:48where they've never lived before,
12:50taking some individuals
12:50that might have come from,
12:52say, for example,
12:54South America,
12:55but sending them to Africa
12:56because he's making deals
12:58with others
12:59to deal with minerals
13:01and try to get,
13:03You know,
13:04and which I think,
13:06You know,
13:06critical minerals
13:07that are to resources
13:10in different places.
13:11And he's doing the same thing
13:12in Central and South America.
13:14So that's wrong.
13:15And so I think
13:16that the immigration policies
13:18as it is being put forward
13:21by this administration
13:22is not what
13:24the American people want.
13:26We don't want to be identified
13:27as inhumane
13:29and cruel
13:30to individuals
13:31who have come
13:32to the United States
13:33trying to make a better life
13:34for them
13:35and their families.
13:36And breaking
13:37international law.
13:39And breaking
13:39international law.
13:41That's correct.
13:42Well, Congressman Meeks,
13:43Thank you very much.
13:44for your time
13:44and joining us
13:45at El Espectador Interviews.
13:47Thank you.
13:48Thank you for having me.
13:48And I look forward
13:50to see you again
13:51in the future.
