Colombia’s soccer jersey controversy; Trump’s refugee policy

0:28This message comes from Schwab. listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories up close where they're happening. It's Thursday, June 4th. I'm Greg Dixon. In a few minutes, the political battle over the jersey for Colombia's national team. First, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently fielded questions from members of Congress. He was testifying in budget hearings in which he defended cutbacks at the State Department. He also defended radical changes to the U.S. refugee program, a program that once had bipartisan support. NPR's Michelle Kellerman takes a look at what was said about the revamped program.

1:09For decades, the U.S. had a program to resettle the world's most vulnerable refugees, vetted and screened for months or years before they could arrive. But the Trump administration put a stop to that and created a new program just for Afrikaners, white South Africans. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained it this way at a House hearing this week. We have gauged that there is real interest from a unique subset of people in South Africa who would be interested to coming in the United States and who we assess have a high likelihood of rapid assimilation and success in our society, and hence this program was created.

1:45The Trump administration says it will allow up to 17 ,000 white South Africans to come this year. Congresswoman Grace Meng, a Democrat from New York, compared that to the 1 ,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban but are now stuck in limbo in Qatar since the Trump administration won't accept them. Why can't they assimilate into society? I've been to their centers in my district in Queens. They have assimilated and contribute and pay taxes. Yeah, but we've already assumed a lot of Afghan refugees. As you said, you have them in your district. The State Department is trying to find countries willing to accept those Afghans and propose the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where there's now an Ebola outbreak.

2:29Congresswoman Julie Johnson, a Democrat from Texas, accused Rubio of dishonoring Afghans who helped Americans during the war. Mr. Secretary, is it the policy of this government to send these Afghan folks to the Congo? That's just one country. The policy of the United States is to find multiple countries and they would be able to choose which one they want to go to of the options that they're presented. At that hearing, Rubio clashed with Democrats who raised concerns about President Trump's stock trades and the business dealings of his top negotiators, son-in-law Jared Kushner and real estate developer Steve Witkoff.

3:04Rubio repeatedly said that he's never seen any of them take steps to promote their businesses He also told lawmakers that he's never seen President Trump sleep, though California Democrat Ted Lieu showed videos of Trump closing his eyes at public cabinet meetings. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.

3:28The World Cup starts soon and fans in Colombia are eager to see their national team return to the global tournament. But even as they're getting ready to put on their jerseys to show support, the team's colors are getting wrapped up in political controversy. John Otis takes us to Bogota, Colombia.

3:50In its final warm-up before the World Cup, Colombia beat Costa Rica before a packed stadium here in Bogota. Jazzed about Colombia's first World Cup appearance in eight years, many fans wore the team's yellow jersey. But the shirt is now enmeshed in political football. That's Colombia's far-right presidential candidate, Abelardo de la Esprea. A millionaire lawyer who admires President Trump, he often wears tailored suits. He even designed his own fashion collection that includes luxury watches and tennis shoes that sell for$1 ,300 a pair. But now, to take advantage of the good vibes surrounding the national side, De La Esprea and many of his supporters are dressing in the team jersey.

4:43The candidate wore it while giving a victory speech after winning the most votes in the first-round presidential election on Sunday.

4:53However, his new look doesn't sit well with Ivan Cepeda. He's a left-wing senator who finished second on Sunday and will face De la Esprea in a runoff on June 21st.

5:10At a news conference Monday, Cepeda accused De la Esprea of, quote, stealing the national jersey.

5:26Since when did the national team become the property of Dele Esprea's campaign, Cepeda said, the national team belonged to all of us. Supporters of Dele Esprea accused Cepeda of sour grapes and of his own sartorial faux pas.

5:48A former communist, Cepeda wears collarless shirts that remind some of his online critics of the late Chinese dictator Mao Zedong. He likes the of his comrades, that is, the camouflage with whom they attacked with so much violence. Bogotá politician Nicolás Velasco claims Cepeda has links to drug trafficking rebels and prefers camouflage to the national jersey. Others have posted altered photos of Cepeda wearing pro-guerrilla t-shirts. It all mirrors a dust-up in Brazil four years ago. That's when far-right President Jair Bolsonaro turned Brazil's team jersey into a partisan symbol during his failed re-election bid before the 2022 World Cup.

6:37But in soccer-mad Colombia, this game plan could pay off. Although Colombia has scant chance of winning the World Cup, many pundits are predicting that the jersey-wearing De La Esprea will win the presidency. For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Colombia.

7:00That's the State of the World from NPR. Thanks for listening.

7:08This message comes from IXL. The IXL Level Up Diagnostic gives you clear, just-in-time insight into student learning, with benchmark results and real-time updates throughout the year. Even better, Level Up creates a personalized action plan for every student that guides them to what they should practice on IXL to improve. Learn more at IXL.com slash NPR. Hundreds of thousands of people came to the U.S. as small children. It's the only home they've ever known. And although they weren't citizens, many got special protections to keep living and working here. Now, though, they find themselves in legal limbo as the Trump administration tightens the screws on immigrants.

7:46Listen to NPR's Code Switch podcast in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.