Midterm alert: Democratic analysts warn Hispanics are turning away from party's socialist drift

The desperate attempts by Democratic leaders to win back the traditionally loyal Hispanic vote lost in the 2024 election have encountered a serious obstacle from within the party: the overwhelming rise of socialism.

The fact is that Latino voters have shown the greatest resistance for years to this political ideology, which many have experienced firsthand or through their elders before arriving in the U.S. For example, according to a report The Hill, a Democratic strategist from The Sunshine State said that "socialism is a nonstarter in places like Florida, where there are big swaths of Hispanic voters."

Hispanic voters view socialist candidates the least favorably

A Pew Research survey published this year shows that Hispanic voters view candidates from the party who identify as socialists the least favorably. Only 20% of Latinos who identify as Democrats or lean left supported candidates labeled as socialists. Black Democrats follow closely behind (21%). Among Asian Americans, the percentage rises to 30%, while whites, at 40%, are the most supportive.

Previously, other Pew surveys had previously highlighted Hispanics' rejection of this ideology, especially among those from Cuba (82%), Puerto Rico (64%), Mexico (51%) and South America (47%).

"It’s not surprising that there would be some skepticism of DSA"

Also in a conversation with The Hill, Democratic strategist Luis Miranda, who served in Barack Obama's White House as director of Hispanic media, explained the situation for Democrats as someone born in Colombia and raised in the United States.

"I saw what the extremes did in the country I was born in, both the far right and the far left. For a lot of Latinos, they’re going to feel that intrinsically. ... It’s not surprising that there would be some skepticism of DSA," he said. 

Changes in Democratic rhetoric and symbols spark backlash among Hispanics

One of the key points for understanding the situation is the evolution of Democratic rhetoric and terminology. Not surprisingly, the shift from the term "liberal" to "progressive" has sparked significant backlash among the Hispanic community, particularly those with ties to South America.

In Spanish, "progressive" translates as "progresista," and the Democrats have tried to "recast the term as a synonym of an equitable, forward-looking agenda of opportunity and prosperity [for all]," explained a Cuban-born analyst from the Democratic Party.

However, outside the U.S., Hispanics don't exactly have positive associations with the concepts of "progressivism" or "socialism," the strategist explains:

"In 2020, the Venezuelan autocrat, Nicolás Maduro, addressed a packed auditorium in Cuba and spoke of a new anti-imperialist alliance called 'El Frente Progresista' (the 'Progressive Front'). Ecuador’s former president, Rafael Correa, a leftist leader who uses the 'democratic socialist' label for his revolutionary party, equates progressives to a new wave in Latin America. The current [now former] left-leaning president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, recently labeled his government as 'progressive.' Throughout Latin America, the historic term 'Communism' has been aggressively re-labeled as 'Socialism' and 'Progressivism,'" said a 2024 report from Caracas Chronicles. 

"Democratic socialist": Synonymous with "Democratic Nazi" for many Hispanics

According to the aforementioned report, when Democrats in the U.S. embrace the "Democratic socialist" or "Democratic progressive" labels, many Hispanics view them negatively. "It’s like saying they are 'Democratic Nazis.' The words trigger memories of repression, persecution, and hardships."