By Manolo Betancur – Coments on Der Spiegel Article.
I want to share something very special with you. The German magazine Der Spiegel interviewed me for an article written by journalist Ines Zöttl, who reached out from Washington to tell my story—the story of many immigrants who live in the United States with the daily uncertainty of what might happen next.
Every morning before I leave home, my wife asks me urgently:
“Do you have your passport?”
And every morning, I reply defiantly:
“No. I will not carry my passport.”
That’s how things are now, I have been a U.S. citizen for many years. I studied here, I live here, and I have built a successful business in Charlotte, North Carolina, employing 70 people. But there’s a problem: I don’t look like it. Not to some. Not to those who believe that being Colombian is enough reason to live in fear in the country I call home.
Since Donald Trump came to power and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement gained momentum, this fear has become part of daily life for many of us. Der Spiegel’s article highlights how the threat of mass deportations—whether rhetoric or reality—has become a tool to instill fear.
I see it in my community, in my employees, in my neighbors. In East Charlotte, where I live, diversity is our essence. Latinos, Arabs, Asians, and Africans share this space, which now feels constantly watched. As I told Ines Zöttl:
“ICE arrests anyone who looks like an immigrant. They don’t come with a warrant; they just stop people on the street or enter their apartments through the window.”
This climate of fear has a real and devastating impact. A few years ago, armed ICE agents showed up in my bakery’s parking lot and arrested one of my employees. They got the wrong person. Thanks to a lawyer, we got him released on bail a few days later. But the question that haunts me now is: what if this time is different? I know that at any moment, they could take me, and as I told the journalist:
“They will arrest you, and three days later, you’ll be in Mexico or somewhere in South America.”
My sales have dropped since Trump returned to the center of political discourse. “No one goes out anymore,” I told Der Spiegel. Customers are scared, the streets feel empty, and small businesses like mine suffer the consequences.
But beyond the fear, what truly frustrates me is the silence of those with the power to change this reality. Where are the voices of big business leaders? Why do figures like Jeff Bezos or Tim Cook choose to stand alongside Trump instead of standing up for us?
“Why do we, the poor, have to fight their fight? Big CEOs should be fighting for us.”
I refuse to stay silent. I am a social activist and an entrepreneur of ideas. When war broke out in Ukraine, I did not hesitate to gather donations and bring bread to the conflict zone. Because I believe in solidarity, in humanity, in community. But today, I ask myself: who is defending us?
This Der Spiegel article is crucial because it sheds light on what many prefer to ignore: the United States depends on immigrants. This fear-based system doesn’t just hurt us—it hurts the entire economy. As I told the journalist:
“Most Americans don’t realize that Trump’s stance will ultimately hurt them. This will only change when restaurants stop serving food and hotels stop cleaning rooms. Good luck getting Americans to work on farms.”
That’s why I am deeply grateful to Ines Zöttl and Der Spiegel for telling our story. In times when fear is used as a tool of control, we need more courageous journalism that gives us a voice.
I invite you to read the full article and reflect on what’s at stake. Because this is not just my story. It’s the story of thousands. It’s the story of a country that needs to remember that its greatness has always been in its diversity.
Thnak you
Manolo Betancur, CEO of Manolo´s Bakery
