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Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Rep Lincoln Diaz-Balart, brother of sitting congressman, dead at 70
Former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., has died at the age of 70, his brother and current House member Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., announced. "Defender of the silenced and oppressed, author of the democracy requirement for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against the Cuban dictatorship, and the author of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA). Lincoln's legacy of achievements will endure for generations, and continues the work of the Congressional Hispalic Leadership Institute (CHLI) which he co-founded in 2003," Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart said in a statement about his brother. Lincoln Diaz-Balart served Floridians as a member of the Republican Party. The Cuban refugee first got into politics by "leading the Florida Young Democrats and running an unsuccessful campaign for the Florida legislature as a Democrat in 1982," his congressional biography states. He formally switched his party allegiance in 1985 and was elected to the Florida legislature in 1986. Then, he "sponsored laws strengthening sentences for crimes against law enforcement officers, increasing penalties for drug-related money laundering, providing low-interest loans for home construction, creating a statewide program to combat substance abuse, and establishing disclosure rules for Florida companies doing business with Cuba," according to the biography. White House Will Not Release Visitor Logs During Trump's Second Term He was sworn into Congress in January 1993 and served until his retirement in 2010. That same year, his brother Mario won the election to succeed him in the 21st Congressional District. Read On The Fox News App Diaz-Balart leaves behind his wife of 48 years, Cristina; his son Daniel; two grandsons and three brothers. He was preceded in death by his first son, Lincoln Gabriel. Rubio Signs Declaration To Expedite $4B In Arms To Israel 'Wrongly Withheld' By Biden "Lincoln's profound love for the United States, and his relentless commitment to the cause of a free Cuba, guided him throughout his life and his 24 years in elected public service, including 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives," Mario's announcement said. "We will miss him infinitely."Original article source: Former Rep Lincoln Diaz-Balart, brother of sitting congressman, dead at 70
Fox News
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Former Rep Lincoln Diaz-Balart, brother of sitting congressman, dead at 70
Former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., has died at the age of 70, his brother and current House member Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., announced. "Defender of the silenced and oppressed, author of the democracy requirement for the lifting of U.S. sanctions against the Cuban dictatorship, and the author of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA). Lincoln's legacy of achievements will endure for generations, and continues the work of the Congressional Hispalic Leadership Institute (CHLI) which he co-founded in 2003," Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart said in a statement about his brother. Lincoln Diaz-Balart served Floridians as a member of the Republican Party. The Cuban refugee first got into politics by "leading the Florida Young Democrats and running an unsuccessful campaign for the Florida legislature as a Democrat in 1982," his congressional biography states. He formally switched his party allegiance in 1985 and was elected to the Florida legislature in 1986. Then, he "sponsored laws strengthening sentences for crimes against law enforcement officers, increasing penalties for drug-related money laundering, providing low-interest loans for home construction, creating a statewide program to combat substance abuse, and establishing disclosure rules for Florida companies doing business with Cuba," according to the biography. He was sworn into Congress in January 1993 and served until his retirement in 2010. That same year, his brother Mario won the election to succeed him in the 21st Congressional District. Diaz-Balart leaves behind his wife of 48 years, Cristina; his son Daniel; two grandsons and three brothers. He was preceded in death by his first son, Lincoln Gabriel. "Lincoln's profound love for the United States, and his relentless commitment to the cause of a free Cuba, guided him throughout his life and his 24 years in elected public service, including 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives," Mario's announcement said. "We will miss him infinitely."
Axios
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who put Cuban embargo into law, dies at 70
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a former Miami congressman and towering figure in the Cuban exile community, died Monday after battling cancer. He was 70. Zoom in: Diaz-Balart was the legislative mastermind responsible for enshrining the Cuban embargo into law, instead of executive action. It remains to this day and profoundly influences U.S. policy in Latin America. A Republican, Diaz-Balart was also responsible for the 1997 Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, called NACARA, that still provides immigration benefits and deportation protections to certain Nicaraguans, Cubans, Salvadorans and Guatemalans. It's legislation the GOP would never pass today. The big picture: Diaz-Balart played a critical role in the political reorientation of Cuban Americans away from the Democratic Party to the GOP, where they continue to exercise outsized political influence on local, state and national politics and policy. Diaz-Balart was such a notable figure in Miami that when politically minded people would talk of "Lincoln," it often meant they were talking about the congressman and not the former president. The backstory: The Diaz-Balart family story is the personification of Cuban exile experience writ large. His father, Rafael Diaz-Balart, was a prominent Cuban politician when Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba in 1959. The family was on vacation at the time. Castro was married to Rafael's sister, Mirta, and their son, Fidelito, was therefore Lincoln Diaz-Balart's cousin. The dictator was his uncle. Lincoln Diaz-Balart's brother, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), served with him in Congress and shared the news of his death Monday. The third brother, is MSNBC host Jose Diaz-Balart. The oldest brother, Rafael Diaz-Balart, is a retired banker. Lincoln Diaz-Balart served as a Florida state representative 1987-1989, state senate from 1989-1993 and the U.S. House from 1993-2011. What they're saying:"The four of were like one person," Mario Diaz-Balart told Axios. "Just like our father did, Lincoln showed us how to live with dignity, honor and grace and how to die with dignity, honor and grace." Lincoln Diaz-Balart leaves behind his son, Daniel Diaz-Balart, and wife of 48 years, Cristina, his high school sweetheart. His son Lincoln Gabriel Diaz-Balart died in 2013. How it happened: Diaz-Balart's signature move was making sure the Cuban embargo was put in law so that it would take an act of Congress to change it, and only after democratic reforms took place on the island. In 1996, thousands of rafters from Cuba were fleeing the already poor island that was made even more destitute from the collapse of the Soviet Union, which used to finance Castro's communist dictatorship. A Miami-based relief group called "Hermanos al Rescate" ("Brothers to the Rescue") would fly over the Straits of Florida to drop supplies to migrants and help with their passage to the U.S. The defining moment came on Feb. 4, 1996, when a Cuban MIG-29 fighter jet killed four of the activists by shooting their plane down in international waters. Cuba claims the Brothers to the Rescue plane encroached the island's airspace. Because President Clinton was seeking reelection and wanted to win Florida, Diaz-Balart made sure to get the embargo put into federal legislation, known as the Helms-Burton Act, that the White House would be politically pressured to sign. "Clinton won Florida," Diaz-Balart once said. "That wasn't a coincidence." What's next: Diaz-Balart penned a memoir, Sketches From a Life, that was slated to be published later this month.
CBS News
03-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Former Florida U.S. Congressman Lincoln Díaz-Balart dies at 70
Former U.S. Congressman Lincoln Díaz-Balart, a fierce advocate for Cuban democracy and immigrant rights, has passed away at the age of 70. His brother, Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), confirmed the in a statement Monday on behalf of the family. "It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Lincoln Díaz-Balart," the family stated. Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1954, Díaz-Balart dedicated his career to public service, spending 24 years in elected office, including 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented South Florida's Cuban-American community from 1993 to 2011, working to push for democratic reforms in Cuba and to support immigrant communities in the U.S. One of his most significant legislative achievements was authoring the democracy requirement for lifting U.S. sanctions against Cuba, ensuring that sanctions would not be lifted unless the Cuban government met specific democratic conditions. Additionally, he played a crucial role in creating the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), which granted legal residency to thousands of immigrants fleeing instability in their home countries. Díaz-Balart was also a co-founder of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI), an organization dedicated to promoting Hispanic leadership and public policy engagement. His influence extended beyond politics, as he remained a staunch advocate for human rights and democracy throughout his life. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Cristina, his son Daniel, daughter-in-law Estefania, and grandsons Lincoln Daniel and Edwin Rafael. He also leaves behind his brothers Rafael, Jose, and Mario, along with their families. He was preceded in death by his eldest son, Lincoln Gabriel, who passed away in 2013. The family stated, "We will miss him infinitely." A public memorial mass will be announced in the coming days.
