In a dramatic twist following Alabama Sen. Katie Britt’s use of a trafficking survivor’s story in her response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, Karla Jacinto herself has stepped forward to denounce what she calls the political exploitation of her harrowing past.
Who is Karla Jacinto?
Karla Jacinto, whose ordeal was shared by Sen. Britt as an indictment of Biden’s immigration policies, revealed to CNN that her traumatic experiences predated the current administration. She expressed her frustration at politicians who, she believes, use survivors like herself merely as props for their agendas.
“I hardly ever cooperate with politicians, because it seems to me that they only want an image. They only want a photo — and that to me is not fair,” Karla Jacinto told CNN‘s “Freedom Project,” which aims to shed light on modern slavery.
Karla Jacinto recounted how her story was first misused by Mexican politicians and has now been exploited again, this time in the United States. She urged lawmakers to show genuine empathy for the millions affected by human trafficking, rather than cherry-picking stories for political point-scoring.
Inaccurate story?
The controversy erupted after Sen. Britt recounted Jacinto’s tale during her rebuttal to Biden’s speech, painting a picture of the horrors faced by trafficking victims. However, Jacinto clarified that her encounter with the senator occurred at a public event, not in a private meeting as implied. Furthermore, she emphasized that her trafficking ordeal occurred years before Biden took office.
Despite the backlash, Sen. Britt’s camp stood by her remarks, insisting that her narrative was accurate. However, questions linger over the portrayal of Jacinto’s story and its alignment with political messaging.
As the debate rages on, the spotlight remains on the survivors of trafficking, reminding the public that behind every political statement lies a human story of pain and resilience.
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