The Trump era begins

By Guillermo Alvarado

Donald Trump is once again the President of the United States of America, and a series of questions are being asked around the world about how much of what he said during his campaign he will be able to put into practice during his term in office.

Among the various issues he has announced is a crackdown on undocumented migration, as well as the largest deportation in history, which is easier said than done due to the impact it will have on the internal economy of his country.

Although there are no official statistics, various sources put the number of undocumented immigrants living in the northern power at around 11 million, and many of them are vital to some productive sectors, especially agriculture, where they are exploited to the maximum.

On the other hand, there is the cost of a massive operation in which Trump plans to involve the armed forces, immigration services and various government structures.

Another measure announced is the application of taxes on imports, targeting Mexico and China, which also has domestic implications.

First, because if he does, he will throw the North American Free Trade Agreement  into the trash can.

Second, it remains to be seen how the affected countries will react, as they will undoubtedly adopt countermeasures that will make it more expensive for U.S. producers to sell abroad, which would not please industry and commerce, as they would lose many customers.

China, for example, is not only a major exporter of the most unimaginable items, but also a powerful buyer and would have no major inconvenience in turning to other markets, including several in Latin America with which it has close trade ties.

Trump has said he intends to eliminate essential purchases from the Asian nation in four years, but to achieve this the U.S. economy would have to grow at a rate that does not exist today, even more so if it eliminated cheap immigrant labor in agriculture and construction.

As for other issues, such as buying Greenland or taking over the Panama Canal, they are not feasible at this time. However, he has already reaffirmed his total commitment to Israel, which is what all administrations, Democrat or Republican, do.  Trump should already know that, as the popular saying goes, there is one thing with a guitar and another with an orchestra.