PHOENIX – Kristin Urquiza, whose father died in June after a weeks-long war of COVID-19 headaches, accused President Donald Trump of not leading his death in his national high-rated statements on the first day of the Democratic National Party. Convention on Monday.
Urquiza, 39, who lives in San Francisco and studied public policy, blamed Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey for the loss of his father.
In a brief but harsh direct appearance on camera, with a circle interspersed with family photos, Urquiza spoke for less than 3 minutes, providing a fierce rebuke from the Trump administration.
“The coronavirus evidently showed that there were two Americas, the Americas in which Donald Trump lives and the America my father died in,” he said. “Enough is enough. Donald Trump probably wouldn’t have caused the coronavirus, but his dishonesty and irresponsible movements have made it much worse.”
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Urquiza said the U.S. wants a leader to address the pandemic from a data- and science-driven perspective.
Earlier this summer, in a surprising obituary by his father, Mark Anthony Urquiza, Urquiza blamed his death on “the negligence of politicians who continue to jeopardize the fitness of brown bodies” by failing to provide transparent leadership and recognize the severity of the pandemic.
The obituary went viral. She invited Ducey to the funeral, but he didn’t settle for it. A few weeks later, a letter from so-called Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden gave the impression on his home mailbox.
In the letter, shared with The Arizona Republic, Biden expresses his condolences for the loss of his father.
Americans, he writes, will have to adapt to themselves to absorb the pain.
“The circle of family ties Mark has dedicated his life to strengthening is destined for moments like that,” Biden’s letter on July 21 read. “They are meant to allow you to share some of those burdens that are extraordinarily difficult to carry alone. And they intend to continue to grow in their love and take care of each other, regardless of adversity.
“The day will come when your father’s reminiscence will bring a smile out of your lips before your eyes cry. My prayer for you and your circle of family members is that this day will come as soon as possible.”
Urquiza joined a list of Democratic Party luminaries, and some Republicans, who were scheduled to speak Monday night on the theme “We, the People.” He delivered his speech after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and long before former first lady Michelle Obama closed the first night of the convention.
The event, scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, is organized through videos from satellite sites across the country.
Urquiza talked about her room.
Her comments were fueled by pain and anger, two emotions that helped her settle for the loss of her father, who, like many Arizonians, struggled to reconcile the severity of the new virus with the message of the president and Ducey, who let their initial expire to remain in the shelter.
His father considered the initial request but, after the end, he said he was sure he would resume his general life.
His father, he said, Trump.
“He voted for him, he heard it, he believed him and his spokesmen when they said the coronavirus was low and it was going to go away,” he said.
Then, last May, after finishing the Arizona home order, he said, his father went to a karaoke bar with his frifinishs.
A day after he became ill on June 11, he tested positive for COVID-19. His condition deteriorated even after spending days in a high-oxygen treatment. He turned on a fan. The effects of the virus have undermined its unlimited power for its circle of relatives and their joy of living. He died on 30 June at the age of 65.
“He died alone, in intensive care, with a nurse in his hand,” he said. “My father was a healthy 65-year-old man. His only pre-existing condition was to accept as true with Donald Trump and that’s why he paid with his life.”
One of the last things the father told him was that “he felt betrayed through other people like Donald Trump. That’s why, when I vote for Joe Biden, I’ll do it for my father.”
Since his death, Urquiza has declared what he sees as a leadership vacuum at the federal, state and local levels.
Dozens of others, especially other people of color, came to her for recommendation as they navigated her family’s situation, she said.
“Whether it’s other people who have lost one they enjoyed or the returning teachers to school who are concerned about reopening plans or the lack of reopening plans in their area,” he said in a phone interview Monday before his speech. “While I am revered and have done everything I can to supply as much as possible, I think it just shows that Americans are afraid. They want more direction, transparent recommendations and direction on how to mitigate the threat and coronavirus. so desperate that they touch me.
“I’m not a doctor, I’m not an epidemiologist. I’m just a woman who’s missing her father and who shouldn’t shut up the reasons for her death.”
Throughout his life, he’s changed, he says.
At the high school, he’s part of his school’s Republican club. She said she was a registered independent and now a registered Democrat. These days, he identifies with the democratic top wing of the Democratic Party.
It supports applicants who target “those who love best,” adding aspects of physical and environmental fitness.
Urquiza works for a non-profit organization that advocates for environmental protection. He finished his studies at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.
To prepare for her big moment, Urquiza has spent the last few weeks writing her emotions and mind in a newspaper, talking to her partner, Christine Keeves, and thinking about why she’s excited to vote for Biden.
For his family, he’s decisive.
His mother, he says, has been very political.
“For her, she feels that I continue to fight for my father when others have failed her,” she said. “She couldn’t be prouder and helps me tell me every day that my father is proud of me. It’s not the same as hearing it from him, but I know it’s true.”
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