Mario Díaz-Balart, U.S. Congressman representing Florida’s 26th District since 2003, used his Twitter account on July 22 and 23, 2025, to honor Cuban dissidents and criticize the Cuban government.
On July 22, Díaz-Balart wrote: “Cambiar el nombre de la calle frente a la embajada del régimen en D.C. en honor a Payá rendirá homenaje a los que perdieron la vida y garantizará que su legado y su lucha por una Cuba libre perduren. El pueblo cubano será libre, gracias a los valientes héroes dentro de la”. In another post from the same day, he stated: “Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas fue asesinado el 22 de julio de 2012 tras un accidente automovilístico orchestrado por el régimen castrista, en el que también murió el joven activista Harold Cepero. El sacrificio de Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas y Harold Cepero es un recordatorio contundente de”.
Continuing his criticism of the Cuban government, Díaz-Balart posted on July 23: “Los represores del régimen antiamericano en Cuba no tienen cabida en Estados Unidos.”
Díaz-Balart has been an active figure in U.S. politics for decades. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1988 to 1992 and in the Florida Senate from 1992 to 2000. Born in Fort Lauderdale in 1961 and currently residing in Miami, Díaz-Balart holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida.
The congressman’s comments refer to Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero, two Cuban activists who died in a car crash on July 22, 2012—a death that some allege was orchestrated by the Cuban government.
