Luisana Pérez embodies an accelerated version of the American dream: in ten years she evolved from a 24-year-old Venezuelan immigrant who had just landed in Miami and was working whatever job she could find – with a visa thanks to her Venezuelan-American husband — toward becoming a US citizen and Director of Hispanic Media at the White House. During an interview a few days ago at the US Embassy in Madrid, the spokeswoman reflected on her arrival in the United States, the day-to-day work of her team in the fight against disinformation, and the work of the entire government against attacks on democracy.
Ask. You claim you came to the US from Venezuela to seek democracy. What were you thinking on a momentous day like the attack on the Capitol?
Answer. I didn’t believe it at first. Suddenly you say, “No, that’s not happening here in the United States.” It was worrying. That’s one of the reasons that drives me to continue this work and to do what I do. The last thing we want as a nation is for democracy to be lost. We try to protect it every day. This was also one of the causes of the President.
Q You emigrated to the United States in 2011 and after ten years ended up in the White House. How was this trip?
TO. it was long I came to the United States like any other immigrant. I did jobs that had nothing to do with my career. I was a nanny and manager of an office that distributed meat to restaurants in Miami. I worked at the Dolphin Mall [a shopping mall]. I was a little desperate because these weren’t the jobs I was looking for, so I started volunteering with immigrant-friendly organizations. And there I made contact with a state representative. At that time I was looking for someone [in politics] and it was there that my political career began.
Q Have you noticed changes in society’s attitude towards immigrants?
TO. The United States is a country that knows very well what immigrants bring with them. There are parts of society that have become radicalized and try to discriminate against migrants and use them as a pretext to create a certain kind of rhetoric. I’ve had the opportunity to be where I am and the community I work with has given me that boost and helped me. And I hope that the same will happen to immigrants.
Q Her story seems to be the embodiment of the so-called American Dream, but for many people, the immigration process can be a nightmare. How do you feel when you see the pictures at the border?
TO. It’s not easy because you understand that people come looking for an opportunity. The government wants an immigration system that is legal, fair, and most importantly, humane.
Q Biden promised to solve the immigration problem and legalize millions of undocumented immigrants. That didn’t happen.
TO. From his first day in office, he sent a bill to Congress to solve the immigration problem. He has taken alternative executive action to defuse the situation somewhat. The President remains committed, but Congress must act.
Luisana Pérez, during the interview at the US Embassy in Spain.Samuel Sánchez
Q They are dedicated to political communication in times of fake news and disinformation. How does the White House deal with these issues?
TO. We monitor the media very closely; We also monitor social networks where we mainly see disinformation. I conduct many job interviews every day, not only with myself but also with others in administration. We are in constant contact with reporters so that the real information is available. We always tell people that it’s very important to look for official sources and also to speak to the community in their language. For Spanish-speaking media, we send information in Spanish. We always try to stay on top of things when something happens.
Q How do you meet the challenge of the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence?
TO. The President met with business leaders who are also passionate about artificial intelligence. We are aware of the implications and consider how we can best ensure that, firstly, privacy is maintained and secondly, the information provided is truthful.
Q What can be done when a section of society, such as large sections of Trump supporters, believe in alternative facts that contradict reality?
TO. For us it’s all about working with all media. We will not control what one or the other medium says. Our idea is to always provide transparent and truthful information so that it can be accessed.
Q What weight does Latin America have in the Biden government? One gets the impression that he hasn’t invested as much in the region as Obama.
TO. We just had a meeting with the President of Uruguay. We had the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles last year. The region is very important to the President; not just now, but when he was Vice President and will continue to be so. For him, the well-being of his neighbors in Latin America is tantamount to the well-being of the United States. In recent years he has received the presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
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