Chicagoans with roots in Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba are reeling from President Trump's recent threats towards their homelands. The U.S. president has set his sights on countries he believes are "run by sick men" or harboring strong drug cartels, sparking concerns among Chicago's Latinx community.
For Albert Coll, a professor of law and U.S. foreign relations born and raised in Cuba, Trump's threats are nothing more than hyperbole. "I don't see the U.S. going into Mexico or Cuba at this point," he said. "He's putting pressure on these governments."
However, not everyone shares Coll's skepticism. Manuel Castro, a coordinator at the Coalicion de Migrantes Mexicanos Chicago, worries that Trump's threats could be used as an excuse for military intervention in Mexico. "If the U.S. invades Mexico... it will be catastrophic," he said. "There will be more people emigrating to the U.S."
Claudia Medina, a Colombian native living in Chicago, takes Trump's threats seriously. She believes that bombing or invasion is not an effective solution and could lead to a global catastrophe. For her family still living in Colombia, the thought of further military intervention is terrifying.
Isabel Martinez Mulcahy, who fled as a teenager from Colombia to the U.S., also warns of the devastating consequences of military action. "When they get on land where their grandmother came from, it won’t be good for anyone," she said.
Coll acknowledges that Venezuela's president, Maduro, has been responsible for millions of Venezuelans fleeing the country, but he emphasizes that this is a complex situation requiring a nuanced approach. "This is not Iraq," he says. "There was corruption [in Venezuela], but there were political parties... This is a different kind of country."
In contrast, Alfonso Seiva, president of the Coalicion de Migrantes Mexicanos Chicago, advocates for a more collaborative approach to address problems in Latin America. "Fixing these things with the army is not possible," he said. "We need to give money to Latin America to fix the infrastructure in these countries — to make sure we provide for these people. Violence won’t fix these problems. It’s not the way to make Latin America great."
As the international community watches, Chicago's Latinx community holds its breath, hoping that Trump's threats will not materialize into military action.
For Albert Coll, a professor of law and U.S. foreign relations born and raised in Cuba, Trump's threats are nothing more than hyperbole. "I don't see the U.S. going into Mexico or Cuba at this point," he said. "He's putting pressure on these governments."
However, not everyone shares Coll's skepticism. Manuel Castro, a coordinator at the Coalicion de Migrantes Mexicanos Chicago, worries that Trump's threats could be used as an excuse for military intervention in Mexico. "If the U.S. invades Mexico... it will be catastrophic," he said. "There will be more people emigrating to the U.S."
Claudia Medina, a Colombian native living in Chicago, takes Trump's threats seriously. She believes that bombing or invasion is not an effective solution and could lead to a global catastrophe. For her family still living in Colombia, the thought of further military intervention is terrifying.
Isabel Martinez Mulcahy, who fled as a teenager from Colombia to the U.S., also warns of the devastating consequences of military action. "When they get on land where their grandmother came from, it won’t be good for anyone," she said.
Coll acknowledges that Venezuela's president, Maduro, has been responsible for millions of Venezuelans fleeing the country, but he emphasizes that this is a complex situation requiring a nuanced approach. "This is not Iraq," he says. "There was corruption [in Venezuela], but there were political parties... This is a different kind of country."
In contrast, Alfonso Seiva, president of the Coalicion de Migrantes Mexicanos Chicago, advocates for a more collaborative approach to address problems in Latin America. "Fixing these things with the army is not possible," he said. "We need to give money to Latin America to fix the infrastructure in these countries — to make sure we provide for these people. Violence won’t fix these problems. It’s not the way to make Latin America great."
As the international community watches, Chicago's Latinx community holds its breath, hoping that Trump's threats will not materialize into military action.
. I mean, can you even imagine if he was to invade or bomb one of those countries? It would be like, totally devastating for the people living there 
. We need to think about all the families who are already struggling due to economic and political issues in their home countries, and then throw more problems at them? Not cool 
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. I mean, if it makes someone feel anxious or scared about the future, then it's definitely worth being concerned about 
. We need to be thinking about how our words and actions affect others, especially when they're coming from someone in power 
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. I'm all for supporting organizations that help with infrastructure development and providing aid to those who need it 
. It's time for us to get behind a more collaborative approach that prioritizes people over politics 
.
. we need to focus on solutions that don't involve more bloodshed & destruction, like supporting infrastructure projects or diplomatic efforts... otherwise, trump's rhetoric is just gonna lead to more chaos & human suffering 
.
. I mean, come on, he's talking about invading or bombing these countries? That's just crazy talk 
. I've got friends who are from Colombia and Mexico, and they're all super scared right now 
. We need to think about the consequences of this, like how it could lead to more people fleeing to the US, but also what about the innocent civilians who would get hurt in the crossfire? 
. We need to be thinking about ways to address these issues collaboratively, not with military action 
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. Whatever the reason, I think we should all be keeping a close eye on this situation and pushing for peaceful solutions 
.
its not even about the drug cartels he should focus on americas problems instead of trying to bully other countries . and whats with all these "sick men" comments it sounds like hes watching too many action movies 
anyway if ur a colombian mexico or cuban living in chicago u gotta stay safe because trump seems to be all over your homeland rn 
It's hard to believe the US president would do that 
The situation in Venezuela is already bad enough, and some people think it should be tackled with care 
. And let's not forget Isabel Martinez Mulcahy's point - when something happens that affects our ancestors' homeland, it's not good for anyone 
. We just hope Trump doesn't follow through on his threats 
.
I can feel how scared and worried everyone is right now... especially Claudia and Isabel, thinking about their families still living in Colombia 
. We need more cooperation and support from the international community, not just military action 
, but it's still really unsettling for people like Manuel and Claudia who are already living with the fear of what could happen if things escalate 
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. We should be focusing on diplomatic efforts and economic aid instead of just throwing around bombs and invasion talk 
anyway, i think alfonso seiva's idea of giving money to latin america to fix infrastructure is SO smart 
, hoping for the best and praying trump doesnt follow through on his threats 
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. alfonso seiva is right on point when he says that violence won't fix these problems. we need to be workin' together as humans, not tryin' to impose our will on others 
. we need to stand up for ourselves and our communities, and not let anyone make us feel like we're less than