The White House will not celebrate the traditional May 5th holiday, which has been celebrated with the presence of the president for more than 10 years.
Instead, Mike Pence's office has organized a small reception to be held on Thursday the 4th (not the 5th) without the presence of the president, high-level politicians and artists.
Trump thus breaks the tradition of administrations such as Obama and Bush, which used the date to promote outreach to the Hispanic community.
“It is unfortunate because it sends a terrible signal to the Hispanic population, although, on the other hand, it does not surprise me because it is in line with the attitude that Trump has had since he launched his candidacy: talking about the damage caused by Mexican migration was a central theme in his speeches. It is terrible news and I am not surprised that he does this,” said the Mexican journalist based in Washington, Anne Wakefield.
“The White House’s decision to end a tradition that has lasted almost two decades celebrating Cinco de Mayo is deeply disappointing. This is exactly what we would expect from a president and administration that has made it their mission to persecute, criminalize and curse immigrants,” said members of Congress from the Hispanic Caucus in Congress.
May 5 commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when the Mexican army defeated a French expeditionary force, and the celebration is more popular in the United States than in Mexico.
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