President Biden announced on Thursday that he would nominate Francisco O. Mora, a prominent Cuban American Democrat, as the U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States, a position that would make him a leading administration voice on Western Hemisphere policy, including the civil unrest in Cuba and the aftermath of the presidential assassination in Haiti. Both issues are especially important in South Florida, home to the biggest population of Cubans and Haitians in the United States. Some Cuban Americans, including Cuban American Democrats, have urged Mr. Biden to be more outspoken about the massive street protests in Cuba, which Cuban exiles hope will destabilize the island’s Communist government. Democrats have tried to re-examine their approach to Latino voters across the United States in light of the significant Hispanic support that Republicans won in last year’s elections. Democrats’ slide was particularly evident in the Miami area, where Republicans succeeded in attracting younger Cuban American and other Hispanic voters.

Source: International New York Times July 29, 2021 19:07 UTC