Politics
Miami Republicans say Nicolás Maduro’s arrest signals short future for Cuba, Nicaragua regimes
After the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart predicts more despots will soon be deposed in the Western Hemisphere.
Asked about the futures of regimes in Cuba and Nicaragua, he suggested they may be short.
“I was convinced that these terrorist regimes would have not survived another four years of Donald Trump,” Díaz-Balart said. “Let me say it now in a different way, I am convinced that the two remaining ones will not survive.”
The Hialeah Republican, the longest-serving member of Florida’s congressional delegation, made the remarks at a Doral press conference alongside U.S. Reps. Carlos Giménez and María Elvira Salazar. The three Cuban American Republicans all praised Trump’s administration for ending the 15-year reign of Maduro, the communist leader who was captured by U.S. forces and taken to legal custody in New York on Saturday.
Salazar, who chairs the House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, called the development historic.
“Today is definitely a glorious day, not only for the Venezuelans, but for the Cubans and for the whole hemisphere,” she said. “We feel it probably more than anybody else, because we know how hard it’s been, but we have a fantastic leader called President Trump, and thank God that, because of him, justice caught up with Maduro, and a new chapter has begun.”
Giménez, who was among the first notified by Secretary of State Marco Rubio of Maduro’s arrest, defended the legality of the unilateral action. He cited numerous indictments of Maduro on drug trafficking charges, the justification of a bounty issued by the U.S. Justice Department years ago. He took issue with Democratic colleagues questioning the operation on any level.
“To my colleagues on the Left, well, the only thing I got to say is, are you kidding me?” Giménez said.
“Are you really trying to defend a narco-terrorist dictator? You’re coming out to the defense of a narco-terrorist dictator that has killed, has blood on his hands, American blood. Are you out of your minds completely? Why? Because it was President Trump, and President Trump can’t do anything right. No, President Trump does a lot of things right, and this is one of them.”
Salazar stressed that the removal of Maduro didn’t represent the hostile takeover of the nation, and that Venezuelans will rule their own country. The lawmakers said the arrest marks a moment of transition.
“The President said it this morning, very clearly. He wants Venezuela to be free, prosperous and secure,” Salazar said.
“They have the largest reserves of oil in the world, so they’re going to be able to pay for their own reconstruction. They’re not going to be asking and asking or begging any other country, including ours, to lend them money. They have enough resources to do that. So that also means no more Russia, no more China, no more Hezbollah, no more Iran, no more Hamas in Venezuela.”
While the three were effusive in praising Trump, Díaz-Balart did push back when one reporter at the press conference alluded to Trump saying on Saturday that Venezuelan opposition leader María Elvira Machado “doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within the country.” Díaz-Balart shut down a reporter who asked why he and his colleagues were not willing to support Machado as the next leader of Venezuela.
“I will not tolerate putting words in my mouth, or my colleagues mouth,” Díaz-Balart said.
“I’m convinced that when there are elections, whether there are new elections or there’s a decision to take the old elections, the last election that the next democratically elected President of Venezuela is going to be María Corina Machado.”
Giménez noted that he and Salazar attended the event in Norway when Machado was presented the Nobel Peace Prize.
Salazar reminded that Maduro’s regime forced Machado to be removed from the ballot as a candidate for President before an election in 2024. Instead, the opposition candidate chosen to run was Edmundo González, and most international observers and the U.S. State Department believe González won an overwhelming majority over Maduro. Nevertheless, Maduro remained in power and was sworn into a new term last year.
“This was a non-conventional war,” Salazar said. “Maduro was a non-legitimate President.”
The appointment, Kevin Mason, is an alumnus of University of West Florida.
The University of West Florida (UWF) Board of Trustees is getting a new member while another is returning to the panel for continued service.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced this month that he’s appointed Kevin Mason to the panel that oversees policy for UWF. DeSantis also reappointed Paul Bailey to the Board of Trustees for the campus located in Florida’s Panhandle.
Mason is an alumnus of UWF where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the school. Mason is also steeped in business.
Mason is the CEO and Co-Founder of Acentria Insurance which is based in Destin. The company now has offices and services throughout the Southeast United States and has grown to about 50 locations. Mason was also a Producer and Managing Partner of the North Florida Operations for the Insurance Office of America.
Bailey will return to the board following the reappointment. Bailey is a lawyer for Welton Law Firm. Welton is based in Crestview and provides multiple legal services.
Bailey is also a registered firearms instructor with the National Rifle Association. He’s also an Adjunct Professor at Pensacola Christian College. Bailey earned his pre-law bachelor’s degree from that school and went on to get his law degree from Regent University.
The UWF Board of Trustees has 13 members that sit on the panel.The board is the governing body for the institution. Florida’s Governor appoints six of those members while the board itself votes on appointments for the other five members.
The President of the Faculty Senate occupies one of those seats while another is held by the President of the Student Government Association.
The UWF campus had a student enrollment of nearly 16,000 as of Fall Semester.
The appointment and reappointment named by DeSantis still have to get final approval by the Florida Senate.
When people think about the economic engines of Sarasota and Bradenton, they often point to tourism, health care, construction, or the arts. Each sector is essential to the region’s identity and prosperity. But another driver of economic vitality exists — one that is stable, scalable, and compounding year after year — sitting on Sarasota Bay.
That driver is New College of Florida.
As Chief of Staff and Vice President of Finance and Administration, my role requires evaluating how public investment translates into real outcomes for students, families, employers, and communities. From that vantage point, New College’s economic trajectory in recent years is notable not only for its growth but for the clarity of its return.
According to a recent independent economic impact analysis, New College’s direct economic impact grew from $61.2 million in fiscal year 2023 to $104.5 million in 2025, a 71% increase in just two years. With responsible enrollment growth and continued strategic investment, direct impact is projected to reach $159.6 million by 2027–2028 and $270.9 million by 2033–2034 — more than 400% growth over a decade.
Those numbers are significant, but they tell only part of the story.
When indirect and induced effects are included — local spending by students, employees, visitors, and vendors — the regional impact becomes even more compelling. In 2024–2025, New College generated a total economic impact of $209.1 million. That figure is projected to rise to $319.2 million by 2027–2028 and to approximately $542 million annually by 2033–2034.
This growth reflects deliberate choices: strengthening academic programs, investing in campus infrastructure, and aligning the college’s mission with Florida’s workforce and civic priorities. Today, New College educates more students, attracts more talent, and draws more families, visitors, and investment into the Sarasota–Bradenton region than at any point in its history.
Universities also provide something increasingly rare in a volatile economy: permanence. They do not relocate when markets fluctuate. They create long-term jobs, attract research funding, and generate consistent demand for housing, services, and cultural amenities. Every student who chooses New College represents years of local economic participation, often followed by long-term residency and workforce contribution. More than 1,100 New College alumni live in Sarasota today, reinforcing the institution’s lasting imprint on the region.
Higher education remains one of the most reliable vehicles for public return on investment. Independent analysis shows New College delivers substantial returns on a relatively modest public investment. That is not theoretical. It is measurable, repeatable, and already underway.
Geography amplifies that impact. Situated between Sarasota and Bradenton, New College functions as a connective institution and a key driver of cross-county collaboration, supporting a truly regional economy. Students live, work, intern, and volunteer throughout both communities. Faculty and staff serve on nonprofit boards, contribute to civic leadership, and support local businesses across Sarasota and Manatee counties.
This is where investment matters most.
Institutions either capitalize on momentum or allow it to stall. Every additional dollar invested in New College does not simply preserve what exists; it multiplies regional return. Enrollment growth drives housing demand. Academic programs strengthen workforce pipelines. Campus development supports local contractors and suppliers. A thriving public liberal arts college enhances the region’s ability to attract employers who value talent, innovation, and quality of life.
Communities that transformed their economic futures — Austin, Pittsburgh, Raleigh — did not do so by accident. They made sustained, disciplined commitments to higher education as a cornerstone of growth. Sarasota and Bradenton face that same choice today.
From my seat overseeing budgets, strategy, and long-term planning, one conclusion is clear: New College of Florida is not a cost center. It is a growth engine. The returns are visible in the data, evident in neighborhoods, and reflected in the people who choose to live, work, and build their futures here.
When Florida invests in New College and regional leaders align on its continued growth, the result is not incremental benefit but compounding value. The impact is durable. The returns are shared. The opportunity is substantial.
That is not optimism.
That is strategy.
___
Christie Fitz-Patrick is Chief of Staff and Vice President of Finance and Administration at New College of Florida.
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