This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Buenos Aires, Argentina • An Argentine TV advertisement is sending a message to Donald Trump: you should fear some Latin Americans about to arrive in the United States.
The advertisement for the June 3-26 Copa America soccer championship, being staged in the U.S., mocks the immigration rhetoric of the Republican front-runner for president. Referencing comments about unwanted people entering the U.S. and border protection, the advertisement uses images of Argentina players stepping out of a plane.
Trump has called for building a border wall — among other proposals to deal with unlawful immigration —— and pledged to deport the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally.
In the advertisement, when Trump says, "thousands of people are coming through the border, hundreds of thousands, and they're unchecked," it shows footage of chanting fans waving the white and sky blue Argentine flags and passing through the turnstiles at a stadium.
The image of a frowning Argentina captain Lionel Messi is paired with Trump comments "These are not the sweet little people that you think, ok?"
References to the border wall are matched with images of Argentina's players beating defenders and scoring goals.
The advertisement with a warning in Spanish regarding the players that reads: "The truth is that the best that they can do is not let us in."
The centenary of the Copa America takes place at 10 U.S. venues. This will be the first time in its 100-year history that Copa America, played every four years, is held outside South America.