Latest news with #Díaz-Balart
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Never stopped fighting for freedom': Hundreds honor Lincoln Díaz-Balart at memorial mass
Inside a packed church hundreds gathered on Saturday to honor the life and legacy of Lincoln Díaz-Balart, the Cuban-American Republican politician and former congressman who died on Monday after a battle with cancer. A memorial Mass for Díaz-Balart was held at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami, drawing dozens of high-profile attendees, including his brothers — U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart and NBC News anchor José Díaz-Balart — as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mourners wept, but they also laughed, sang, and prayed, finding solace in one another as they remembered the Havana-born politician who fled Cuba with his family in December 1958. His family sat in the front row, wiping away tears throughout the service. Rubio, seated in the adjacent pew, received thanks throughout the service from many different speakers for attending. For those who knew and loved Diaz-Balart, it was his lifelong fight for Cuba's freedom and democracy that remained central even in his passing. At moments during the Mass, members of the public could be heard calling out, 'Cuba Libre.' 'I admired him because he was a fighter,' Sen. Rick Scott told reporters outside the church. 'He fought for liberty and freedom in Cuba and all of Latin America. Unfortunately, in his lifetime, we didn't see freedom and democracy in Cuba, which is what he wanted. So it's too bad.' Díaz-Balart's crowning career achievement was his role in shaping U.S. policy toward Cuba. In 1996, alongside fellow Cuban-American lawmakers Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Bob Menendez, he helped craft the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, also known as the Helms-Burton Act. It established three conditions for lifting the U.S. embargo on Cuba: the release of all political prisoners, the legalization of political parties and independent press, and the scheduling of free elections under international supervision. During the memorial, Díaz-Balart's son Daniel read aloud the names of Cuban political prisoners, underscoring his father's belief that their names should never be forgotten. The eulogies were delivered in a mix of English and Spanish by his brothers, his son Daniel, and Ana Carbonell — a longtime aide whom Daniel described as 'the sister my father never had.' 'He believed wholeheartedly that we were social workers, and as social workers, we needed to care for the entirety of the people,' Carbonell said. She recalled a story of Díaz-Balart helping a homeless man who came to his office demanding to speak with him. Instead of turning him away, he provided him with resources to obtain identification and secure housing. For Carbonell, three words defined his life: Purpose, principle and passion. 'Lincoln knew that our time here on Earth is short,' she said. 'He was determined to make it count. He knew that his purpose came from God.' José Díaz-Balart took the congregation back to July 2, 1965, his then 10-year-old brother, Lincoln, and 14-year-old brother Rafael, were living in Madrid. They managed to get front-row tickets to a Beatles concert, and the next morning, they tracked down the band's hotel. One by one, the Beatles emerged. Ringo Starr walked right past them, followed by the rest of the band. Then John Lennon, Lincoln's favorite member, stopped. Lennon looked at Lincoln and said, 'You're special, lad. Study hard, work hard,' before hugging him. As the band exited, Lincoln even held limousine door open for Lennon. Decades later, in his final days, Diaz-Balart still spoke of that brief moment, seeing it as a reaffirmation of what his parents — his father, Rafael Lincoln, a power broker who rose to the presidency of the Cuban Senate under Fulgencio Batista, and his mother, Hilda Caballero Brunet — had always told him: 'Every single person is special.' Mario Díaz-Balart took time in his eulogy to thank first responders and elected officials in attendance. 'Thank you for your presence and honoring us,' he said. 'Lincoln's deep and unwavering love for the United States of America and for the members of our community was only equal to his love and passion for those suffering under tyranny,' he said. 'Lincoln never stopped fighting for freedom.' Daniel was the last to speak, hugging his uncle on the way to the podium, sharing his father's love of storytelling. One of the tales he heard countless times was his father's near-death experience on a ship. At just 10 years old — the same year he met the Beatles — Lincoln ventured onto the exterior deck of a ship his family was traveling on during a violent storm. As the vessel rocked in the freezing darkness, he lost his footing while descending a set of stairs. He slid across the deck, fearing he would be thrown into the Atlantic. 'He screamed at the top of his lungs,' Daniel recounted, adding that he hadn't fully grasped the significance of that ship until later in life. It was the SS United States — often compared to the Titanic — which still holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing. Decommissioned in 1969, the ship sat dormant for decades before being set on a nearly 2,000-mile journey to a new home in the newly renamed Gulf of America, Daniel said. Daniel shared how he visited his father for the last time the previous Wednesday at his Key Biscayne apartment. As they gazed out over the ocean, they saw the SS United States on its final voyage, glowing in the sunset. 'It was a beautiful afternoon,' he said.
Miami Herald
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Never stopped fighting for freedom': Hundreds honor Lincoln Díaz-Balart at memorial mass
Inside a packed church hundreds gathered on Saturday to honor the life and legacy of Lincoln Díaz-Balart, the Cuban-American Republican politician and former congressman who died on Monday after a battle with cancer. A memorial Mass for Díaz-Balart was held at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami, drawing dozens of high-profile attendees, including his brothers — U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart and NBC News anchor José Díaz-Balart — as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mourners wept, but they also laughed, sang, and prayed, finding solace in one another as they remembered the Havana-born politician who fled Cuba with his family in December 1958. His family sat in the front row, wiping away tears throughout the service. Rubio, seated in the adjacent pew, received thanks throughout the service from many different speakers for attending. For those who knew and loved Diaz-Balart, it was his lifelong fight for Cuba's freedom and democracy that remained central even in his passing. At moments during the Mass, members of the public could be heard calling out, 'Cuba Libre.' 'I admired him because he was a fighter,' Sen. Rick Scott told reporters outside the church. 'He fought for liberty and freedom in Cuba and all of Latin America. Unfortunately, in his lifetime, we didn't see freedom and democracy in Cuba, which is what he wanted. So it's too bad.' Díaz-Balart's crowning career achievement was his role in shaping U.S. policy toward Cuba. In 1996, alongside fellow Cuban-American lawmakers Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Bob Menendez, he helped craft the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, also known as the Helms-Burton Act. It established three conditions for lifting the U.S. embargo on Cuba: the release of all political prisoners, the legalization of political parties and independent press, and the scheduling of free elections under international supervision. On Saturday Daniel read aloud the names of Cuban political prisoners, underscoring his father's belief that their names should never be forgotten. 'You're a special lad' The eulogies were delivered in a mix of English and Spanish by his brothers, his son Daniel, and Ana Carbonell — a longtime aide whom Daniel described as 'the sister my father never had.' 'He believed wholeheartedly that we were social workers, and as social workers, we needed to care for the entirety of the people,' Carbonell said. She recalled a story of Díaz-Balart helping a homeless man who came to his office demanding to speak with him. Instead of turning him away, he provided him with resources to obtain identification and secure housing. For Carbonell, three words defined his life: Purpose, principle and passion. 'Lincoln knew that our time here on Earth is short,' she said. 'He was determined to make it count. He knew that his purpose came from God.' José Díaz-Balart took the congregation back to July 2, 1965, his then 10-year-old brother, Lincoln, and 14-year-old brother Rafael, were living in Madrid. They managed to get front-row tickets to a Beatles concert, and the next morning, they tracked down the band's hotel. One by one, the Beatles emerged. Ringo Starr walked right past them, followed by the rest of the band. Then John Lennon, Lincoln's favorite member, stopped. Lennon looked at Lincoln and said, 'You're special, lad. Study hard, work hard,' before hugging him. As the band exited, Lincoln even held limousine door open for Lennon. Decades later, in his final days, Diaz-Balart still spoke of that brief moment, seeing it as a reaffirmation of what his parents — his father, Rafael Lincoln, a power broker who rose to the presidency of the Cuban Senate under Fulgencio Batista, and his mother, Hilda Caballero Brunet — had always told him: 'Every single person is special.' One of his father's favorite tales Mario Díaz-Balart took time in his eulogy to thank first responders and elected officials in attendance. 'Thank you for your presence and honoring us,' he said. 'Lincoln's deep and unwavering love for the United States of America and for the members of our community was only equal to his love and passion for those suffering under tyranny,' he said. 'Lincoln never stopped fighting for freedom.' Daniel was the last to speak, hugging his uncle on the way to the podium, sharing his father's love of storytelling. One of the tales he heard countless times was his father's near-death experience on a ship. At just 10 years old — the same year he met the Beatles — Lincoln ventured onto the exterior deck of a ship his family was traveling on during a violent storm. As the vessel rocked in the freezing darkness, he lost his footing while descending a set of stairs. He slid across the deck, fearing he would be thrown into the Atlantic. 'He screamed at the top of his lungs,' Daniel recounted, adding that he hadn't fully grasped the significance of that ship until later in life. It was the SS United States — often compared to the Titanic — which still holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing. Decommissioned in 1969, the ship sat dormant for decades before being set on a nearly 2,000-mile journey to a new home in the newly renamed Gulf of America, Daniel said. Daniel shared how he visited his father for the last time the previous Wednesday at his Key Biscayne apartment. As they gazed out over the ocean, they saw the SS United States on its final voyage, glowing in the sunset. 'It was a beautiful afternoon,' he said.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Flags fly at half-staff in honor of Lincoln Díaz-Balart
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA)— Flags will fly at half-staff in honor of Lincoln Díaz-Balart who passed away on March 3. Díaz-Balart was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1986 and served until 1989, A new release from the Governor's Office said. 'I'm greedy': Xfinity driver Daniel Dye wants more than top 10s WATCH: Fire engulfs 2 60-foot, 90-foot yachts in Florida river From 1989 to 1992, Díaz-Balart served one term in the Florida Senate before being elected to the United States House of Representatives to serve Florida's twenty-first Congressional District until 2011. Díaz-Balart was a leader in the Cuban American community and an advocate against communism and the Castro regime, the release said. Governor Ron DeSantis declared flags to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
04-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Lincoln Díaz-Balart, a ‘Free Cuba' Republican in Congress, Dies at 70
Lincoln Díaz-Balart, a staunchly anti-communist Florida Republican who helped enshrine into law the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba and who defended immigrants' rights during his nearly two decades in Congress, died on Monday at his home in Key Biscayne, Fla. He was 70. His death was announced in a statement by his two younger brothers, Representative Mario Díaz-Balart, a Florida Republican, and the television anchor José Díaz-Balart of MSNBC and NBC News. The cause was cancer, according to Representative Díaz-Balart's office. The scion of a political family in Cuba, Lincoln Díaz-Balart forged his own political career on the other side of the Florida Straits, becoming a fiery orator and a persuasive behind-the-scenes legislator in the House of Representatives at a time when Cuban Americans exerted their peak influence on U.S. policies and elections. In the heavily Cuban American, Miami-area district he represented for 18 years, Mr. Díaz-Balart's name became synonymous with the cause of a free Cuba — so much so that he would sometimes be asked if he hoped to someday seek office in Havana. As a congressman in 1995, he was arrested outside the White House while protesting President Bill Clinton's Cuba policy, which was pushing for more engagement, and later helped craft the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, which codified the trade embargo and other sanctions into law. The legislation kept Mr. Clinton and subsequent presidents from unilaterally lifting the embargo without the support of Congress. Critics of the embargo say it has failed because Cuba's communist regime remains unchanged. Mr. Díaz-Balart also championed immigrants, especially those who, like him, had fled left-wing governments. In 1997, he wrote legislation that protected some 150,000 Nicaraguans and 5,000 Cubans from deportation. The law allowed hundreds of thousands of other immigrants to seek U.S. residency. 'The oppressed people of Cuba had no greater advocate for their freedom than Lincoln,' former Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a fellow Cuban American Republican who served with him during his entire time in Congress, said in an email. 'He made it his life's mission to call for democracy and human rights for his native land.' Lincoln Rafael Díaz-Balart was born on Aug. 13, 1954, in Havana, the second of four sons of Hilda (Caballero) Díaz-Balart and Rafael Lincoln Díaz-Balart. His father, a lawyer, was the majority leader in the Cuban House of Representatives before Fidel Castro seized power in 1959. A grandfather and uncle were also in politics. An aunt, Mirta Díaz-Balart, was Castro's first wife and the mother of his son Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart, known as Fidelito. Lincoln, his older brother, Rafael, and their parents fled Cuba in 1959 after pro-Castro forces looted and burned their home during the Cuban Revolution. (The family had been away on a trip at the time.) They lived in New York, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (where Mario and José were born), Venezuela and Spain before settling in Miami. He graduated with a degree in international relations from New College of Florida, in Sarasota, in 1976, and with a law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in 1979. Mr. Díaz-Balart worked in private practice before becoming a prosecutor with the state attorney's office in Miami-Dade County. Like many Cuban Americans, he was initially a Democrat, leading the Florida Young Democrats and running unsuccessfully for the State Legislature in 1982. But along with other Cuban exiles and their children, he began to identify as a Republican during the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Mr. Díaz-Balart served as co-chairman of Democrats for Reagan in 1984 and formally switched parties in 1985, saying that Democrats were too lenient toward communists in Nicaragua and El Salvador. He was elected to the State House in 1986, to the State Senate three years later and to Congress in 1992. While he was in office, Cuban Americans vastly increased their political power. In Miami, they became the dominant electoral demographic; at the national level, they worked in a bipartisan fashion to try to push out Castro. (One of Mr. Díaz-Balart's closest friends in Congress was former Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, a Democrat and a son of Cuban exiles.) But Mr. Díaz-Balart chafed at being cast as a one-issue legislator. Representing many working-class immigrants, he was one of only three Republicans to oppose his party's Contract With America in 1994, and he opposed welfare reform in 1996. Both the party platform and the legislation cut off benefits to legal immigrants. He succeeded a year later in getting disability benefits and food stamps restored for hundreds of thousands of older people and legal immigrants. His most serious electoral challenge came in 2008, when national Democrats tried to unseat Miami's three Cuban American Republican members of Congress: Mr. Díaz-Balart, his brother and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. All three won re-election, but it would be Mr. Díaz-Balart's final term. In 2010, he announced that he would not seek re-election that year and instead return to practicing law and work as a lobbyist. His brother then ran for the seat, which leaned more heavily Republican than his own, and won it in 2010. By then, the Tea Party movement had formed, and Republican politics were changing, said former Representative Carlos Curbelo, a Cuban American Republican whose political career began in Mr. Díaz-Balart's office. 'He was just a statesman in every sense of the word,' said Mr. Curbelo, who first interned for Mr. Díaz-Balart when he was 15. 'He definitely served during a time where bipartisan collaboration was a lot more common, and there wasn't this insurgent element in the House Republican conference like there is now.' Mr. Díaz-Balart is survived by his wife of 48 years, Cristina (Fernández) Díaz-Balart; their son, Daniel; his three brothers; and two grandsons. Another son, Lincoln Gabriel, died in 2013. Before his death, Mr. Díaz-Balart wrote and completed a memoir titled 'Sketches From a Life,' which has yet to be published. 'Lincoln was a defender of the silenced and the oppressed,' José Díaz-Balart said in closing an MSNBC broadcast on Monday. 'He lived a life of service, and did so in the most generous, effective and compassionate way.'
CBS News
03-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, politicians, community mourn Lincoln Díaz-Balart's passing
Lincoln Díaz-Balart, the longtime South Florida congressman and fierce advocate for a free Cuba, has died at 70. His passing was announced Monday by his brother, U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart. His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from political leaders and community figures who hailed his legacy as a statesman and defender of human rights. Mario Díaz-Balart: 'We Will Miss Him Infinitely' Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart released a family statement honoring his brother's life and contributions. "Defender of the silenced and oppressed, author of the democracy requirement for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against the Cuban dictatorship... Lincoln's legacy of achievements will endure for generations," he said. The family confirmed that a public memorial mass will be announced soon. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: "An intellectual giant" Former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who served alongside Díaz-Balart, described him as one of the most influential voices in shaping U.S. policy toward Cuba. "The oppressed people of Cuba had no greater advocate for their freedom than Lincoln," she said. "His debate skills were unparalleled and he left those on the other side of an issue speechless." She praised his role in passing significant legislation targeting Cuba's government, calling him "the author of the most consequential pieces of legislation to punish the oppressors of the Cuban people." Carlos Giménez: "A titan and patriot" Congressman Carlos Giménez said Díaz-Balart's leadership was "an example to follow." "Lincoln's leadership has always been an example to follow, & he has inspired so many of us with his unwavering fight for a free Cuba," Giménez said. "His advice, counsel, passion & sincere friendship were staples throughout my career in public service, and I will miss him tremendously." Rick Scott: "A profound impact on so many lives" Florida U.S. Senator Rick Scott called Díaz-Balart a role model and friend. "Lincoln made a profound impact on the lives of so many Floridians and Americans, including myself," Scott said. "Words could never do justice to describe the legacy he has left behind." Ron DeSantis: "No Greater enemy to Communism" Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the world is better for his efforts. "Florida mourns the loss of Lincoln Diaz-Balart. He was a leader in the Cuban American community and respected in our state. There was no greater enemy to Communism than he was, and the world is better for his efforts against it. May his memory be a blessing to family and friends." Alina García: 'A trailblazer for democracy' Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina García praised Díaz-Balart's lasting influence. "He championed policies that supported those fleeing dictatorship, strengthened our electoral system and reinforced democratic values in the United States and beyond," she said. "His legacy will continue to inspire future generations in the fight for democracy and freedom." J.C. Planas: "A statesman and an amazing Individual" Former State Rep. J.C. Planas, a Democrat, emphasized that Díaz-Balart's impact transcended political divisions. "No matter what side of the political aisle you are on, Lincoln Díaz-Balart was a statesman and an amazing individual," he said. "Prayers for his family. May he always rest in power." Ninoska Pérez Castellón: "One of the best public servants we've ever had" Political commentator Ninoska Pérez Castellón, a longtime friend, fought back tears as she began her daily radio show with the news of his passing. "He was always a person you could say knew about solidarity. He was decent, firm," she said. "I think he was one of the best public servants we've ever had in this community." Díaz-Balart is survived by his wife Cristina, son Daniel and extended family. His first son, Lincoln Gabriel, preceded him in death.
