Did You Know Two Latinas Are Running for President and Vice President of the United States? Neither Did We

In a country where bipartisanship is the norm, hearing policy proposals outside the box is virtually impossible. After all, those same parties keep the mainstream media alive. That’s why when we stumbled upon Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia’s campaign for President and Vice President of the United States, we couldn’t help but sit up and listen.

Hailing from the South Bronx and California, these two community organizers got tired of the rigged political game in the country and decided to take matters into their own hands.

As candidates for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, De La Cruz and Garcia have founded a movement against what they call “a corporate regime.”

Mothers, educators, community organizers, and Latinas

Claudia De La Cruz is a mother, educator, community organizer, and theologian. Born in the South Bronx to Dominican parents, she began her political life at a young age in her home church. De La Cruz participated in campaigns to free political prisoners, for Puerto Rican autonomy, and for freedom for Palestine.

In high school, she worked as a reproductive health and safe sex educator for young people in her community. After traveling to Cuba, she aligned herself with socialist ideals both on the island and in Venezuela. She took her new ideas back to her community and organized youth leadership development projects.

In 2007, De La Cruz finished seminary and became a pastor.

Karina Garcia is a Chicana organizer and educator. Since her 17 years as a high school student in California, she has helped lead campaigns against landlord abuse and police brutality. She has also focused on campaigns for reproductive justice, immigrant rights, and student financial aid reform.

As the daughter of Mexican parents, García received a full scholarship to Columbia University. She joined progressive organizations on campus and led fights to expand financial aid to low-income students. She also worked for immigrants and workers’ rights.

Now, these Latinas want to offer another political option for America and become President and Vice President

Amid one of the most critical presidential races in the country’s history, Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia have decided to bring to the forefront one of the most controversial options: that of a socialist party.

“We’re told this country is a democracy,” they say in their campaign video. “But more and more, it feels like a corporate regime. No matter which party is in power, only the rich ever come up on top.”

Their program then proposes seizing the biggest 100 corporations in America and turning them into public property. Their aim is to “create a new economy for the people.” They also propose a new system of government abolishing the Supreme Court, the Senate, the Federal Reserve, the FBI, and the NSA.

Similarly, the candidates for president and vice president propose the immediate end of all aid to Israel and cutting the military Budget by 90%. They demand full abortion access for every woman, defense of LGBTQ+ rights, and climate action.

“Let’s just say what we all know deep inside,” De La Cruz says. “Career politicians and real estate moguls are never going to save us. Corporate America has two parties. Shouldn’t the working class have at least one?”

“You don’t need to tell us that the working class makes this country run,” she continues. “I’m from the South Bronx, and we know what hard work looks like.”

“I know this country wouldn’t last a day without the working class,” García adds. “So isn’t it about time that we take charge?”

Despite their optimism, socialist ideals don’t seem to have an audience in the United States

While some of the points Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia stress in their campaign are valid, public opinion differs from theirs. In fact, according to Pew Research Center figures, by 2022, 36% of U.S. adults say they view socialism somewhat (30%) or very (6%) positively. Those figures are down from 42% in 2019.

While most of the public (57%) still view capitalism favorably, that figure is down 8 percentage points from 2019 (65%). This change in perception has provided an opening for more independent candidates to throw their hat into the ring of the presidential race.

In the end, this is a country where the Socialist Labor Party, founded in 1876, did not survive the media campaigns of global conflicts. It is a country where a large population of Cuban and Venezuelan immigrants experienced firsthand the failure of the socialist model in their native countries. Therefore, De La Cruz and Garcia’s campaign seems destined to fall on deaf ears.