Former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Republican who represented a South Florida district from 1993 to 2011, has died.
Diaz-Balart, 70, was the brother of present Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), who posted a statement from the household on-line Monday morning in English and Spanish, praising the late lawmaker as a “defender of the silent and oppressed.”
“Lincoln’s profound love for america and his relentless dedication to the reason for a free Cuba guided him all through his life and his 24 years in elected public service, together with 18 years within the U.S. Home of Representatives,” the statement read. “We are going to miss him infinitely.”
A public memorial Mass shall be celebrated at a later date, in accordance with the household assertion.
The late Diaz-Balart was the architect behind Congress enshrining the long-standing U.S. embargo in opposition to Cuba. He was born in Havana, however the outstanding political household moved to the U.S. after Fidel Castro seized energy in 1959.
He was chair emeritus of the Congressional Hispanic Management Institute, which he cofounded in 2003.
