Lincoln Diaz-Balart
International Attorney and Chairman
Conexión con Miami
As a longtime South Florida congressman, Díaz-Balart relocated the U.S. military's Southern Command headquarters from Panama to Miami, boosting local security and economic activity. He was a steadfast voice for the Cuban exile community, enacting policies like the trade embargo against Cuba and supporting immigrant relief that directly benefited Miami's diverse Hispanic population. His legacy endures through family involvement in politics and community leadership in South Florida.
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Born in Cuba in 1954, Lincoln Díaz-Balart fled with his family during the 1959 revolution and settled in South Florida, attending local schools before earning degrees in international relations and law. He began in Democratic politics but switched to Republican in 1985, serving in the Florida House and Senate before winning Florida's 21st Congressional District seat in 1992, where he served until retiring in 2011. Deeply connected to Miami's Cuban exile community, he was a key architect of the Helms-Burton Act strengthening the U.S. embargo on Cuba and authored legislation aiding Central American immigrants. Post-Congress, he practiced international law in Miami and chaired the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. He passed away on March 3, 2025, after battling cancer.