Gov. Ron DeSantis took part in a dedication of a statue for President Ronald Reagan at Florida International University on Friday as part of his commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
FIU officials also announced a new initiative aimed at supporting Cuba’s transition to democracy.
DeSantis previously brought a statue of President George Washington to the state Capitol, a statue of President Thomas Jefferson to Jefferson County and a statue of founding father Benjamin Franklin to Franklin County.
For the statue at FIU, DeSantis tied Reagan’s stance against communism with similar opposition from the Cuban community in South Florida to Fidel Castro’s Cuba.
“We wouldn't have seen the Berlin Wall fall and the Soviet Union expire when we did, were it not for President Reagan's leadership,” DeSantis said.
The likeness of Reagan was dedicated on what also would have been the 40th president’s 115th birthday.
The Reagan statue was unveiled in front of FIU’s Ronald W. Reagan Presidential House.
The 7.5-foot tall bronze statue, said FIU in a statement, was created by Cuban American artist Carlos Enrique Prado.
FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez, who is Cuban-American and a FIU graduate, said the new Cuban democracy transition initiative will bring together a wide array of disciplines from throughout FIU.
"This effort will bring together scholars and experts in areas including governance, economics, medicine, public health, the environment, education, technology, infrastructure, architecture, national security, engineering, art, law and civil society to ensure that the intellect, lived experience and resolve of this community are used to steer Cuba toward freedom and democracy, once and for all,” Nuñez said.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this story.
