Latino leaders in Colorado plan to use Denver’s hosting of the 2008 Democratic National Convention as more than a business opportunity, and have started planning to win exposure for social and policy issues, several of the officials said at a gathering Tuesday.
One of Denver’s most respected Latino advocacy groups, Servicios de La Raza, has teamed with the Colorado Federation for Community Integration with a goal of assembling a state board of officials to lobby Democrats during the convention week and to challenge both parties to consider their social agenda in next year’s election season.
“It’s possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to energize people in other parts of the state,” said Mateos Alvarez, director of the Colorado Federation.
The groups hosted a forum Tuesday at the Servicios headquarters in northwest Denver with Katherine Archuleta, the mayoral liaison for convention planning, to get an update on convention opportunities.
Archuleta sounded a frequent refrain in noting that the Democrats are likely to make history by nominating either a woman, an African-American or a Latino.
“It’s a moment that I don’t want to miss, and you should not want to miss either,” Archuleta said.
The Servicios and Colorado Federation say they will host a 500-person party during convention week in which they would invite key delegates and decisionmakers to hear views on issues such as child health care and education and immigration.
They will face challenges. Democratic Party experts say as many as 1,500 parties and private events held by lobbyists and special interests of all stripes will be at play convention week.
Chuck Plunkett: 303-954-1333 or cplunkett@denverpost.com
