María Elvira Salazar highlights regional democracy and calls for justice on Cuban Independence Day

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a U.S. Congresswoman representing Florida’s 27th district and known for her advocacy on Latin American affairs, addressed several issues related to Cuba and the broader region in a series of posts on social media.

On May 19, 2026, Salazar wrote about her participation in an international policy event: “Una conversación importante hoy en la Conferencia de Washington sobre las Américas 2026 sobre el futuro de nuestro hemisferio.

Desde la transición democrática en Venezuela, hasta la libertad de Cuba, y alianzas más fuertes que impulsen la seguridad y el crecimiento económico,” she posted.

The following day, May 20—recognized as Cuban Independence Day—Salazar reflected on her family’s history and the legacy of Cuba’s struggle for freedom: “Today is May 20th.

The same date my grandmother Elvira, my grandfather Rafael, and millions of Cuban families kept alive in their hearts like a sacred promise, that the Cuba born free in 1902 would one day be free again.

Sixty-seven years of tyranny could not erase that flag.”

Also on May 20, Salazar called attention to an event focused on accountability for past violence against Cuban dissidents: “TUNE IN NOW: On Cuban Independence Day, join @MarioDB, @RepCarlos, @RepNicole, and me as we make the case for the indictment of Raúl Castro for the 1996 terrorist attack against Brothers to the Rescue that murdered innocent civilians and American citizens.

For decades, the”

Cuban Independence Day marks the anniversary of Cuba’s formal independence from Spain in 1902. The country has been under communist rule since Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959. The “Brothers to the Rescue” incident referenced by Salazar involved a shootdown by Cuban military jets in February 1996 that resulted in four deaths; this event has long been cited by critics of the Cuban government as evidence of human rights abuses.