Insights from Peter Schweitzer’s New Book
In his latest work, The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon, Peter Schweitzer, a senior contributor at Breitbart News, draws attention to the role of foreign extremist groups in the election of former President Barack Obama in 2008, suggesting these connections still influence the Democratic Party today.
Schweitzer highlights a group known as the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), which started as a Marxist guerrilla faction in El Salvador and developed into a political entity.
He argues that since the early 2000s, many immigrants linked to radical movements, including the FMLN, gained significant roles within U.S. labor unions and political activities, even without being U.S. citizens.
He refers to Dr. Alpi Misha Miller’s dissertation from 2013, which noted the influence of the FMLN on U.S. politics and the experiences FMLN activists garnered in community organizing between 2004 and 2009. Many were involved in major organizations like AFSCME and SEIU and were supportive of Obama’s campaign.
Schweitzer notes that these activists brought their radical ideologies with them to the U.S., suggesting that they found a welcoming environment among progressive leaders. He mentions Obama’s encouragement for them to integrate and gain citizenship quickly.
At a rally in Los Angeles in late 2008, one activist pointed out the significant Salvadoran population in the city, emphasizing its strategic importance for El Salvador and highlighting ongoing political efforts that had been in motion for years.
In his book, Schweitzer warns that such foreign activists will increasingly assert their influence in American politics.
He also discusses the leadership of CASA, an activist group, noting that members have occupied prominent positions in the U.S. government during the Obama administration. Notably, Thomas Perez became the Democratic National Committee chair after serving as assistant attorney general, while Cecilia Muñoz led the Domestic Policy Council.
Following his re-election, Obama reportedly eased restrictions on FMLN members seeking U.S. citizenship, despite acknowledging their previous links to a Marxist insurgency in El Salvador.
Schweitzer describes how the U.S. left has utilized Latin American immigrants to push for socialist policies, with immigration officials claiming that these individuals serve as “political conduits.”
He elaborates on the idea that “immigrant political transnationalism” involves undocumented immigrants engaging in political activities aimed at influencing their new home’s politics, and he questions whether “subversion” might be a better term for such actions.
Even with President Trump’s emergence, the FMLN continued its endeavors to sway American politics. Schweitzer refers to a 2016 forum in San Salvador which included discussions aimed at countering Trump’s immigration policies and strategizing for upcoming elections.
One attendee noted that the FMLN was not just the leading party in El Salvador but also a significant player among Salvadoran immigrants in major U.S. cities. They aimed to mobilize these communities politically within the Democratic Party.
Schweitzer emphasizes that FMLN members were untroubled by their external influence on U.S. elections.
Schweitzer’s The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon is published by HarperCollins and is available for purchase.
