Jorge Ramos Debate Preview: Hard on Biden, Soft on Bernie

MRC Latino | March 11, 2020
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JORGE RAMOS: Vice President Biden, as a presidential candidate, in 2008, you supported the border wall, saying: “Unlike most Democrats, I voted for 700 miles of fence.” This is what you said. Then you serve as Vice President in an administration that deported 3 million people, the most ever in U.S. history. Did you do anything to prevent those deportations? I mean, you've been asked this question before and refused to answer- so let me try once again. Are you prepared to say tonight that you and President Obama made a mistake about deportations? Why should Latinos trust you? 

RAMOS: But you didn’t answer the question. 

JOE BIDEN: Well, I did answer the question. 

RAMOS: Did you make a mistake with those deportations? 

BIDEN: The President did the best thing that was able to be done at the time.

RAMOS: How about you?

BIDEN: I’m the Vice President of the United States.

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RAMOS: Senator Sanders, one country where many immigrants are arriving from is Venezuela. You admit that Venezuela does not have free elections, but still you refuse to call Nicolas Maduro “un dictador”.  A dictator. Can you explain why? And what are the differences between your kind of socialism and the one being imposed in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. 

BERNIE SANDERS: Well, first of all, let me be very clear. Anybody who does what Maduro does is a vicious tyrant. What we need now is international and regional cooperation for free elections in Venezuela so the people of that country can create their own future. In terms of democratic socialism, to equate what goes on in Venezuela with what I believe is extremely unfair. I'll tell you what I believe in terms of democratic socialism. I agree with what goes on in Canada and in Scandinavia, guaranteeing health care to all people as a human right. I believe that the United States should not be the only major country on Earth not to provide paid family and medical leave. I believe that every worker in this country deserves a living wage and that we expand the trade union movement. I happen to believe also that what, to me, democratic socialism means, is we deal with an issue, we do not discuss enough, Jorge, not in the media, and not in congress. You got three people in America owning more wealth than the bottom half of this country. Maybe, just maybe, what we should be doing…

RAMOS: Thank you.

SANDERS: ...is creating an economy that works for all of us, not one percent. That’s my understanding of democratic socialism.

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