The call to defund the nation's police was quickly adopted by the Hispanic media, with Univision vowing that the “death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police has revived calls to dismantle, defund or reinvent police.” Change the word “police” for ICE, and presto, it's a seamless narrative transfer.
Yet as hard as Ramos and co-anchor Ilia Ramos try to portray the defund movement as a call to reform “the way police officers are recruited, trained and supervised, and that some police departments' funds be invested in disadvantaged communities,” the actions taken by Minneapolis' city government were proof to the contrary.
Watch as their defense of the Defund the Police movement, labeled by California Representative Nanette Díaz Barragán (D), as a call for reform, collapses following the revelation that in Minneapolis "defunding", far from “investing and giving them more funds”, really means shutting down the police.
CLAUDIA UCEDA: The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has revived calls to dismantle, defund or reinvent police.
…
Last night the City Council announced that it will take steps to shut down its police department and create a new model of public safety.
[…]
NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN (D) CALIFORNIA: When you hear that people are saying defund the police, what they're saying is that we need to invest, and put more funds.
Not one to miss any and all opportunities to ensure the conditions for a – legal or illegal - sustained, high immigrant inflow, and thus, their very own survival, Univision wasn't too convincing in making the movement seem about reform and peace for all. In fact, it was more of a flashback to the Hispanic media's fixation in 2019, with the “Defund ICE” movement.
Sometimes, it seems, Univision's political agenda supersedes the safety of the citizens of the United States and their right to live in a society of law and order.
Press on "expand" to read the complete transcript.
Noticiero Univision
June 8, 2020JORGE RAMOS: Good evening. Protests over George Floyd's death went beyond claiming justice.
ILIA CALDERON: That's right Jorge. Protesters are still demanding reforms in the way police officers are recruited, trained and supervised, and that some police departments' funds be invested in disadvantaged communities.
RAMOS: That's right Ilia. Democratic lawmakers today introduced a bill with those goals, as Claudia Uceda tells us.
CLAUDIA UCEDA: The call grows across the country to change the role of the police.
WOMAN: We want the police to change.
UCEDA: The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has revived calls to dismantle, defund or reinvent police. This Hispanic agent says the order doesn't solve the problem.
HIRAM ROSARIO: The order is a crazy thing. Criminals would have the opportunity to then multiply the things they do today.
UCEDA: This afternoon, the President, along with law enforcement officials, made it clear
PRESIDENT TRUMP: There won't be defunding, there won't be
UCEDA: that he does not favor defunding the police. The same stance indicated by Joe Biden's campaign. Earlier, after nearly nine minutes of silence depicting Floyd's suffering, Democrats in the House presented their solution. The Justice in Policing Act that would prohibit strangulation maneuvers. It would ban unannounced search warrants and create a national bank of police misconduct data. It does not include additional funds for the police. But some Republicans say it's hard to pass a national handbook for the police. The comments come at a time when the future of the Minneapolis police is uncertain.
WOMEN: We're here because
UCEDA: Last night the City Council announced that it will take steps to shut down its police department and create a new model of public safety. Although the mayor disagrees. And he was expelled from a demonstration. In an interview he said...
[English] I am all for structure reform
UCEDA: That he supports a massive reform of a system that has not worked for generations.
NANETTE DIAZ BARRAGAN (D) CALIFORNIA: When you hear that people are saying defund the police, what they're saying is that we need to invest, and put more funds.
UCEDA: Mayors of New York and Los Angeles are studying to invest some police funds in community programs. Protesters have called for change, and here on this fence that protects the White House, many have expressed their feeling. The question is whether there will be action.
