A new political action committee for the Eileen Higgins campaign for Miami mayor raised $250,000 in its first quarter, showing heavy support from real estate developers, engineering firms, lobbyists — and a political committee that tried to elect James Reyes to Miami-Dade sheriff.
Ethical Leadership for Miami filed its first paperwork on March 24, a little more than a week before Higgins filed paperwork for the mayoral race in April. Its chairman is Christian Ulvert, Higgins’ campaign manager. The total contributions through the end of June was $250,700. Her mayoral campaign picked up another $88,325, for a total of just under $340K. The reports combined show that Higgins had also spent $132,000 as of June 30.
Read related: Poll has Eileen Higgins in Miami mayoral runoff with Emilio Gonzalez
The top donors to her PAC so far are:

$50,000 through four different entities that gave $12,500 each from the real estate developer Related Companies, will need the county’s green light for its plan to build two towers with affordable and workforce housing, a hotel and shops in front of Jackson Memorial Hospital in the city’s health district.
$40,000 (in three separate contributions) from Miami-Dade Safe & Secure PC, a PAC that Ulvert used last year for the James Reyes campaign for sheriff
$25,000 from pharmaceutical heiress, Coral Gables resident and super blue donor Barbara Stiefel
$15,000 from real estate development firm PWV Group 1 Holdings, LLC, which manages the Miami Worldcenter site
$10,000 from developer Morgan Sirlin, vice president at Adler Development
$10,000 from LSN partners, a heavy hitting lobbying firm headed by Alex Heckler and Michael Llorente
$8,000 from four firms with the same address tied to Terra Development CEO David Martin
$5,000 from Alex Heckler as an individual
$5,000 from lobbyist Manuel “Manny” Prieguez, a former state rep
$5,000 from Alfonso Costa, COO of Falcone Group, which develops and manages mixed use projects

The bulk of expenditures have been $51,000 for consulting, production of campaign materials, outreach and staffing through Ulvert’s firms, $31,980 for direct mail, campaign materials and a digital buy through MDW Communications, or Michael Worley — who also conducted a poll last month — and $17,112 for fundraising and events.
The report also shows a reimbursement of $2,568 to Higgins and Maggie Fernandez, her chief of staff at the county, for airfare and accommodations and transportation for the Democratic Party’s Blue Gala. But it was at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, so they could have driven.
There are ten other candidates who have filed paperwork to run for mayor Nov. 4 election, including, most notably, former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez and former Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez. Commissioner Joe Carollo, former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla — who was arrested in 2023 on public corruption charges that were dropped last year — are both threatening to run but haven’t filed anything And Congressman Carlos Gimenez and Miami-Dade Commission Raquel Regalado are rumored to be interested but playing possum.
Qualifying isn’t over until Sept. 20. But it’s enough a clown car already.

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A poll released by Eileen Higgins‘ own campaign says that the Miami-Dade commissioner is leading the other 10 candidates for Miami mayor by a lot. But there’s no way that anyone can win this clusterbunch election outright. There’s going to be a runoff.
And the only one close to Higgins, according to these numbers, is former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, who filed the lawsuit that killed the city’s move to change the election to next year and has gotten a lot of free press from it, helping to position himself as the hero that saved democracy in Miami.
Read related: First lawsuit filed to stop city of Miami from cancelling November election
Not everyone believes an internal poll, because, well, the questions may have been written a certain way and it is unlikely to be announced if the candidate’s numbers come out badly. This poll was announced two hours and 23 minutes before the campaign sent out a fundraising email. So, yeah. But a Higgins-Gonzalez face-off is not impossible. Higgins also enjoys free press from her incumbent position as the district 5 county commissioner and scored a 74% in name recognition, highest in the pack.
Higgins clocked in at 36% support — that’s 21 points ahead of González, who’s sitting at 15%.
In the crowded field, Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo — who hasn’t filed any paperwork but is threatening to run — and former Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez, who has filed paperwork last month, polled at 11% and 7%, respectively. Both are former mayors with huge amounts of publicity. Former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell got about 12% and the rest of the candidates are either somewhere in the single digits or still introducing themselves to abuela at the bus stop.
Russell, in third place, sees something to celebrate. “When the dynasties aren’t even breaking the top three, we know that Miami is ready for change,” he told Political Cortadito.
Read related: Former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez to file for crowded city mayoral race
Higgins’ enviable name recognition ranks at 74%, with a net +18 favorability. González and Russell are liked by more people than not, but fewer voters know them. Carollo and Suarez? Well… voters know them all right. Just not in a good way.
“This has rapidly evolved into a two-person race, with Commissioner Higgins in a commanding position,” MDW wrote in the polling memo. We’ll see how “commanding” it looks after the attacks start flying.
The only politicians who rated more favorably than Higgins were Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump.

The online survey by MDW Communications (read: Michael Worley), which has been retained by Higgins’ political committee, Ethical Leadership for Miami, which raised $250,000 in the last quarter reported (more on that later). It got 511 likely voters to respond between July 27 and Aug. 1. And yes, it included quick bios of all the candidates. (So everyone got a little PR moment.)
The sample, for you demographic nerds, 58% were Hispanic, 22% non-Hispanic white, 16% Black or Caribbean, and 4% “other.” A majority — 66% — were 55 or older.
And while it’s technically a non partisan race, those are ceasing to exist in the post Trump Miami-Dade. In the poll, Democrats accounted for 41% of the respondents, Republicans for 35% and NPAs or no-party voters for 24%. Higgins and Russell are Democrats. Carollo and Gonzalez are Republicans. Suarez is an NPA. A few other rumored Republican contenders — former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Congressman Carlos Gimenez and Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado — were not included in the poll. Possibly because the rumors are not likely to play out.
The qualifying deadline is Sept. 20.
Read related: Courts killed Miami commission’s election shuffle, but city wants a do-over
The poll also asked about two hot issues:

On the commission’s boneheaded attempt to push the election to 2026 without asking voters first, which has been ruled unconstitutional by the courts — 79% of respondents opposed the date change, with 69% “strongly” opposed. Only 11% supported it, and 9% didn’t care. That’s a big ol’ “don’t even try that again” from Miami voters.
On the watered down proposal for lifetime term limits — which has a loophole cut for both Suarez and Joe Carollo, whose brother, former Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo, is running for his old seat — 71% said they’ll vote yes, 20% said no, and 9% are still thinking about it. That seems like a sure bet. City Commissioner Damian Pardo, who put it on the ballot, must be proud.

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Judge seeks legal loophole to let ‘public servant’ off
It was standing room only in Judge Miguel de la O’s courtroom Thursday, and not because people love watching former politicians get sentenced. No, this was a full-fledged cry-in for former Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, who was at a sentencing hearing for his conviction last year on public corruption charges he has always maintained were politically motivated.
Martinez, 66, is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, by state guidelines. The state attorney’s office, feeling generous, has asked for the minimum, which is almost three years. Attorneys for Martinez want a downward departure with no formal conviction and no time behind bars.
The ex commissioner’s family and a parade of supporters — including State Rep. Omar Blanco, Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon, former Miami-Dade budget director Jennifer Moon, Kendall activist Michael Rosenberg and numerous police officers (Martinez was a cop before he was an elected) — provided emotional testimony to try keep him out of prison,
And it just might work.
Read related: Joe Martinez suspended hours before final budget hearing; no replacement
Judge de la O did something rarely seen in courtrooms: he openly admitted he didn’t want to send the defendant to prison. But — and it’s a big legal but — he’s not sure he’s allowed to be that soft.
“I am not taking Mr. Martinez into custody,” de la O is quoted as saying in the Miami Herald, practically pleading with attorneys on both sides to help him find a legal off-ramp. “But the fact that I want downward departure doesn’t mean I can. If I can do it legally, I will. I don’t want to send you to prison.”
So, instead of throwing the book, de la O — honored in by The Florida Bar with the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award for his outstanding service, “strength of character, competence, commitment and civility as a jurist, lawyer and public servant” — punted sentencing to Sept. 15, giving both the prosecution and the defense three more weeks an homework: Come up with case law to support or oppose leniency.
Martinez was convicted last November of accepting $15,000 in what prosecutors said was a pay-to-play scheme in which he got paid to write legislation that would allow more refrigerated containers outside a West Kendall supermarket. It was never voted on. But that still counts as a crime because the law is about intent, prosecutors argued, and the jury agreed.
Tears, uniforms, and character witnesses
Martinez didn’t speak at the sentencing, which may have been smart, since the state’s beef is that he still hasn’t shown any remorse. And they don’t like that. He still says he’s innocent of any wrongdoing and is fighting the guilty verdict.
But his wife, his daughter and old police buddies did plenty of talking — and sobbing — for him. Some grown men, like former Doral Police Chief Ricky Gomez, openly wept while describing Martinez as a “collection of good deeds.
“Incarceration will not do anything,” Gomez told the judge.”It’s already ruined his career.”
Blanco also pleaded with the judge for compassion. He later told Ladra that he knew about the hearing and decided to stop out of loyalty. Martinez didn’t ask him to, he said.
Read related: Joe Martinez claims public corruption charge is really a political hatchet job
“The guy was always here for me and my firefighters when we needed him,” said Blanco, who was the president of the Miami-Dade chapter of the International Association of Firefighters. “I just felt like I had to be there as a character witness.”
Blanco talked about Martinez helping the fire department get much-needed life-saving equipment. “When it came to public safety, he understood. He never wavered,” Blanco told Political Cortadito. “My experience with him is that he’s always been about public service.”
The judge basically told the state rep that the legislature tied his hands and challenged him to change that.
Rosenberg, who co-founded the Pets’ Trust initiative and is the longtime president of the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations, lightened the mood with his particular municipal-minded humor. Rosenberg — who said the Pets’ Trust referendum “wouldn’t have happened without Joe” — had two suggestions for the judge to consider as sentences: Hundreds of hours of community service with animals, of course, or sentence him to be on the county commission again.
Except that second option might be cruel and unusual punishment.
But the most emotional pleas naturally came from Joe’s wife of 29 years, Ana — who tearily called Martinez her “safe space” and begged the court not to her husband — and his namesake daughter, Joana, who was practically hysterical and had to be comforted by her father. Almost everyone in the courtroom was crying.
“He’s an honest man,” said Joana Martinez, who was on The Voice Season 17 in 2019 and made it to the top 10 live show. “My dad is no threat to the community.”
She also directed herself to her father: “I love you pop.”
From Farm Share hero to convicted felon
Martinez had a long career in law enforcement, starting as a Kendall patrol officer, before becoming a five-term commissioner, including two stints as chair. He was known in West Kendall for hosting movie nights, Farm Share food drives, and Crime Watch meetings. He once ran into a burning building. Another time, he stared down a narco with a gun.
But none of that saved him from the trial, where prosecutors said Martinez was desperate for money in 2016 and 2017 — helping a supermarket owner push friendly legislation in exchange for three $5,000 payments.
Read related: State attorney: Joe Martinez broke our trust for $15,000, help with bank loan
The charges — unlawful compensation and conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation — came in 2022, five months after an Inspector General first raised red flags. Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended him a month later, and the case finally went to trial last fall. After he was convicted, he asked for a new trial and was denied. Now all that’s left is sentencing, which could be 34.5 months or 20 years.
Prosecutors are asking for the minimum. Martinez’s team, led by Ben Kuehne, wants house arrest or probation, arguing that his client’s “unusual and exceptional” life qualifies for mercy.
“He’s convicted. He’s been punished,” Kuehne said. “He’s not getting away with anything.”
But, isn’t he?
A different kind of injustice?
Ladra can’t help but note that ordinary people get jail time for far less. How many other convicted felons get a judge lobbying for leniency on their behalf from the bench?
And let’s be real: If Martinez had stolen diapers or food instead of the public trusts, he’d probably already be in a jumpsuit.
Yes, the tears were real. But so was the corruption.
For now, though, Martinez is still free. His fate hangs on whether a judge can legally do what his heart wants to do — let a powerful man with a track record of “good deeds” walk.
We’ll see in September.
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And the legal costs for outside attorneys add up
Miami wants a do-over. After getting spanked twice in court, the city is begging for a third chance.
Who cares if it just burns more taxpayer money?
The city filed an appeal Wednesday of the second court ruling that says the change in election date from odd- to even-numbered years — which would effectively cancel this November’s mayoral and commission races — was unconstitutional and just can’t be done without a vote of the electorate.
City attorneys have argued that state law allows the commission to change the date of the election with three votes. Just like that. But a three-judge panel at the Third District Court of Appeals unanimously agreed July 31 with a lower court judge who said on July 21 that the city ordinance approved in June violated both the city charter and Miami-Dade Home Rule charter that says municipal charter changes need to go to referendum.
No. Can. Do.
Now, Miami wants the whole Third DCA bench of 14 judges, or a selected new and larger panel, to hear the case. In what looks like a full-blown legal tantrum, the motion filed Wednesday basically begs for a rehearing because, well, the three judges who heard the city’s oral arguments and ruled against them just didn’t get it.
Read related: Third DCA strikes down Miami election change; November ballot is on
It’s more likely, given that there was no dissent on the opinion — and the fact that even the city had originally said it wanted this resolved by August 8 — that the Third DCA will decline to rehear the case. But let’s say they’re bored with the other cases and want to liven up their week?
Commissioner Damian Pardo, who sponsored the ordinance that changed the election date and moved the upcoming election to 2026, hasn’t responded to Ladra’s calls and texts. But in statements and in different interviews, Pardo — who said he just wanted to boost voter turnout and save money by aligning the elections with state and federal elections –– seemed to accept the courts’ final say and announced that he would put the question on the ballot in November, like he shoulda in the first place.
Meanwhile, the outside attorney who signed the motion for the rehearing, is charging the city $750 an hour in this case. A contract shows that Dwayne Robinson was hired on July 25 to handle the appeal of Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Valerie Manno Schurr, who said the city pulled a fast one.
“The City’s contention that its Ordinance did not ‘amend’ its City Charter is nothing more than semantic sleight of hand,” Manno Schurr wrote in her ruling. “In one sense, of course, the City is correct, it did not effectuate a permissible amendment to its Charter because the Florida Constitution and Miami-Dade County Charter do not allow the City to amend or repeal its provisions by ordinance. That can only be accomplished with a vote of the electorate, as the Plaintiff correctly contends.”
Deputy City Attorney Eric Eves, who argued the case before Manno Schurr, didn’t even speak during the DCA arguments. He’s been in time-out ever since.
But if that figure seems low for someone of Robinson’s stature, realize that it’s just for his signature. The whole team gets paid $2,350 an hour when they’re working together. And it is a team effort, that even put on a mock trial, according to Robinson’s LinkedIn post from last week. That’s dedication.
Broken down in the contract: partners Charles Throckmorton and Brandon Sadowsky get $700 and $600 an hour, respectively, and paralegal Farola St. Remy gets $300 an hour.
That’s gonna add up.
So are the costs for former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, who is running for mayor this year, not next year. Gonzalez is the candidate who took on the city all by himself — other mayoral candidates stood on the sidelines and cheered.
“They either want to run out the clock or bankrupt the campaign,” Gonzalez told Political Cortadito.
Read related: First lawsuit filed to stop city of Miami from cancelling November election
Needless to say, the money spent on the lawsuit is totally worth the amount of free earned media that has suddenly put Gonzalez in frontrunner position. So much so, that a poll by Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins has her and Gonzalez in the top two spots (more on that later).
In a statement he released Thursday, Gonzalez didn’t hold back:
 “This is not about legal nuance—it’s about an out of control government trying to steal an  election from the people of Miami. The City’s desperate appeals are a blatant attempt to run out  the clock, hoping to prevent the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections from preparing a ballot.  This isn’t just irresponsible—it’s reprehensible. It’s a coordinated assault on the democratic  rights of our citizens. 
The right to vote is non-negotiable. There is no constitutional loophole here, and we will win this  case every time because the law and justice stand with Miami’s voters. What’s even more  outrageous is that City Hall is using taxpayer dollars to fund this sham. They’ve already  squandered over $5 million defending a commissioner who abused city resources, and now  they’re considering spending another $1.3 million on legal fees for another commissioner—all  while racking up undisclosed costs to fight a fair election. 
Miami’s voters cannot endure another year of this failed leadership. My administration will break  this cycle of corruption and deliver real results for Miami families. We will pursue an aggressive  affordability agenda, reforming property taxes to protect homeowners and putting families first in  every decision. 
This is corruption in plain sight—a disgraceful misuse of public funds and a direct attack on  democracy. The people of Miami deserve better, and this November, they will have their say, no  matter how many games the City Commission tries to play.”
The city says the court completely overlooked two key decisions that should’ve protected the ordinance — a case in Hialeah where a permissive state law trumped a restrictive city charter and another in Miami Springs where the Supreme Court said a state law allowing higher interest rates on bonds could override a city’s more conservative charter limits. But those were in 1981 an 1971, respectively. Seems that for $2,350 an hour, they should be able to find just one precedent from the last 45 years.
These rulings, Robinson wrote, basically say that when state law gives permission, a city can use its charter to block it. Furthermore it can undermine the Florida legislature’s power and set a dangerous precedent that could block state laws from applying to Miami-Dade cities, he argued.
If only.
Read related: Miami-Dade Judge: Miami Commission can’t cancel election without public vote
So, this isn’t just about elections anymore. It’s about power — who has it, who wants to keep it, who wants to take it, and who’s trying to rebrand “election integrity” as a home rule cage match.
Yes, Miami wants more voter turnout. And yes, they probably also want certain incumbents to benefit from a juiced-up and mostly uninformed electorate in 2026. And 2028. And 2030. And so on. But this case has now become a constitutional battle royale between state authority and local autonomy.
The City may say it’s about saving money and boosting democracy, but the lawsuit is dripping with legal anxiety over who gets to make the rules in Florida’s most unruly county. And every city with a dusty charter and a dream of skipping odd-year elections is watching.
Ladra expects the county attorney’s office, which has argued as a party on the Gonzalez side, to chime in any minute now.
City of Miami Agreement Appeal Legal Counsel by Political Cortadito on Scribd

 
City of Miami Motion for Rehearing at 3rd DCA by Political Cortadito on Scribd

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We already know that Miami-Dade Commission Vice Chairman Kionne L. McGhee is not happy about the mayor’s proposed $12.9 billion 2025-26 budget of service cuts and fee hikes — especially not when the county’s most vulnerable residents are going to pay the price. Especially when the nonprofits brace for extinction while the county still has $46 million earmarked for FIFA World Cup subsidies.
McGhee has already called for the county to claw back the $46 million committed to FIFA World Cup related activities in light of a $402 million budget shortfall that could cause a slash in spending that includes $40 in grants for non-profits.
On Tuesday, McGhee announced an urgent community meeting on the purposed cuts to community organizations, which are a lifeline that fills the gaps the county services can’t get to. What we can call a crisis roundtable will begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 8 at Kristi House, 1265 NW 12th Ave., where McGhee aims to bring together leaders from some of the nonprofits whose funding was cut in Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s austerity plan.
Read related: Facing $400M budget shortfall, Miami-Dade cuts senior meals, lifeguards, more
That budget, as Ladra has already told you, tries to plug a $402 million hole with a nasty combo of service cuts and fee hikes meant to keep property tax rates flat (which still means a small increase due to rising property values). It slashes funding to arts groups, park programs, senior meals and services — and about $40 million in grants for community-based organizations that provide everything from mental health treatment to trauma care for abused children.
And McGhee has had enough.
“Miami-Dade’s nonprofit organizations provide life-saving, transformational services to thousands of residents every single day,” McGhee said in a statement. “I intend to ensure their voices are heard and that we work together to preserve the critical support systems that hold our community together.”
Read related: Buyer’s remorse: Kionne McGhee wants refund on $46M to FIFA World Cup
The commissioner chose Kristi House, a nonprofit that has become a municipal darling in the fight against child abuse and sexual violence, because he wants to emphasize how deep the cuts will hurt. The organization will nearly half a million dollars short because of the county’s budget cuts. Kristi House CEO Amanda Altman didn’t mince words at the public budget town hall Wednesday in Arcola Lakes.
“What am I supposed to tell the 354 children Kristi House will have to turn away this year because the county decided they weren’t worth fighting for,” she asked Levine Cava, according to to a story by the Miami Herald (Doug Hanks has been to all the town halls).
Kristi House
“These proposed cuts threaten to dismantle services that children and families depend on,” Altman said in a statement released by McGhee’s office, which then included, “We’re incredibly grateful to Vice Chairman McGhee for shining a spotlight on this urgent crisis.”
There it is. McGhee isn’t termed out until 2028, but he has been making a lot of public statements lately and it seems he is trying to position himself as a Democrat candidate for Congress or state senate.
But, also, he’s not wrong. This is a crisis that will have untold consequences. And while the mayor defends her cuts and fee hikes at her budget town halls, this week, those meetings have focused more on blaming the constitutional offices than finding a solution.
Like maybe not giving FIFA boosters $46 million.
And while Chairman Anthony Rodriguez is busy fluffing pillows for the DOGE squad and touting “efficiency” and “transparency,” McGhee is fighting for the people who actually need government support. Rodriguez wants to cut budget fat — McGhee wants to stop cutting flesh and bone.
Read related: Anthony Rodriguez rolls out red carpet for state DOGE, calls it ‘collaboration’
If the county can find $46 million for FIFA, it can find $3 million to keep families in their homes. If it can fund fan zones and broadcast infrastructure, it can fund trauma counseling and summer lunches.
This isn’t just a budget crisis. It’s a moral one.
Help Ladra stay on top of the Miami-Dade budget issues, as we head into the public hearings in September, with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Thank you for your support.
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Miami-Dade Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez is throwing a party Thursday in West Kendall — but the guest of honor won’t be there. That’s because former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, the man getting a brand-new road named after him, is currently under house arrest in Colombia after getting a 12-year sentence for his alleged role in witness tampering and ties to right-wing paramilitary groups.
But hey, why should that stop a good old-fashioned photo op? The street-naming ceremony will likely be full of waving flags, nostalgic speeches, and the production of carefully cropped photos that don’t include any references to international indictments.
Read related: Gov. Ron DeSantis sends Florida DOGE squad to sniff out Miami-Dade budget
In a press release that conveniently ignores Uribe’s present legal situation, Gonzalez invites the public and the press to the unveiling of “Avenida Colombia” at SW 69th Street and 152nd Avenue, a freshly renamed stretch of asphalt in a heavily Colombian-American part of West Kendall. The ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, and promises special guests including Uribe’s son, Tomás Uribe Moreno, and Francisco “Pacho” Santos, a former Colombian VP and close Uribe ally.
“President Uribe dedicated his life to defending Colombia,” the invitation from the District 11 office says, leaving out the messy bits about death squads, wiretaps, and obstruction charges.
Ladra is pretty sure that “defending Colombia” might mean different things to different people. Uribe, who was president of Colombia from 2002 to 2010, is either hailed as a hero who stood up to FARC rebels or condemned as the face of impunity and political violence in a country still reeling from decades of conflict. Maybe both are true.
But one thing is certain: Uribe won’t be cutting the ribbon himself.
Back in Colombia, Uribe, 73, is facing intense legal heat from allegations that he bribed witnesses to discredit accusations linking him to paramilitary groups during his presidency. He’s been a political lightning rod for years, and the case is one of the most high-profile legal sagas in Latin America. Uribe is the country’s first former president to be criminally convicted, but his attorneys have said they will appeal.
Many of Miami-Dade’s Uribe supporters say that the former president is a victim of political “lawfare,” carried out by the left-wing administration of President Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla fighter, before elections next year in which several of Uribe’s allies are running for office. He is so popular here, that Uribe already has at least two streets named after him.
In 2020, after he was first charged, the county named a stretch of 117th Avenue between Southwest 24th and Southwest 40th streets “Alvaro Uribe Way.” Back then Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former Commissioner Xavier Suarez voted against it. In 2021, a stretch of West 16th Avenue in Hialeah, from 44th Place to 60th Street, was co-designated President Álvaro Uribe Vélez Way 16 del Oeste, desde la calle 44 Place Oeste hasta la calle 60
So while Miami-Dade might be slashing nonprofit funding and cutting park hours to plug a $402 million budget hole, Commissioner Gonzalez has found time to name a street after a controversial foreign president with an active legal file longer than the street itself. Because, priorities.
Ladra gets that this is a nod to the large and passionate Colombian-American population, which are concentrated in his District 11 and in the overlapping congressional District 28 that Gonzalez has been reportedly eyeing as his possible next step. Many of Miami-Dade’s Colombians do still see Uribe as a patriot who brought security and stability back to Colombia.
But maybe, just maybe, Gonzalez could wait until the guy isn’t wearing an ankle bracelet before etching his name into county signage?
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