The Miami Herald reported today on a report from the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee that uncovered former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort met with Fidel Castro’s son in Cuba in 2017.
In response to another Republican using their access to the White House to advance their own business interests, Representative Javier Fernandez (D-Miami) issues the following statement:
“As a Cuban American, I am offended, yet not surprised, at the hypocrisy of the Trump administration when it comes to his disgusting pandering that only tries to mask his record of standing with brutal dictators. It is an insult that Trump’s campaign manager travelled to meet with Castro’s son, touting his access to the White House, and was making money from this access. Along with the revelations that David Rivera took millions of dollars to be a lobbyist for the Maduro regime in Venezuela, this once again shows how Republicans always put their business interests ahead of the Cuban and Venezuelan people.”
Representative Javier Fernández is a Democrat and proud son of a single-mother and retired Miami-Dade County school teacher. Raised in Senate District 39 with his three siblings, Javier graduated from Christopher Columbus High School and went onto college with a full academic scholarship, ultimately earning his law degree. After graduation, Javier began his career advocating to expand the supply of affordable housing and improve some of our most neglected communities. He then had the honor of serving as the chief of staff to former Miami mayor Manny Diaz, before spending the last decade in the private sector as a practicing land-use attorney. As a State Representative, Javier has fought for common-sense gun reform, full funding for our public schools, and improved public transit in Miami-Dade County. Javier and his wife, Dr. Anna Maria Patino-Fernandez, a clinical child psychologist, have been married for 15 years. They have two children – Susanna (12) and Lucas (10).
