Civil courthouse in Miami-Dade County to honor Cuban-American rights advocate
By Ammy Sanchez
March 19, 2025 at 4:29 PM EDT
A new civil courthouse in Miami-Dade County will be named after a Cuban-American rights advocate.
On Tuesday, County Commissioners unanimously approved the naming the downtown building after Osvaldo Soto, a Cuban American lawyer who is best known for leading the fight in the 1980s to repeal Miami-Dade County's English-only ordinance.
The law required most of the county's business to be conducted in English — and even banned courthouse weddings in Spanish.
Commissioner Raquel Regalado called Soto a trailblazer.
"For the Hispanics that sit on this dais, we would not be here, but for the work of Osvaldo Soto," she said.
Soto died in 2021 at the age of 91.
READ MORE: O Cinema will keep operating after Miami Beach withdraws eviction item
This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.
On Tuesday, County Commissioners unanimously approved the naming the downtown building after Osvaldo Soto, a Cuban American lawyer who is best known for leading the fight in the 1980s to repeal Miami-Dade County's English-only ordinance.
The law required most of the county's business to be conducted in English — and even banned courthouse weddings in Spanish.
Commissioner Raquel Regalado called Soto a trailblazer.
"For the Hispanics that sit on this dais, we would not be here, but for the work of Osvaldo Soto," she said.
Soto died in 2021 at the age of 91.
READ MORE: O Cinema will keep operating after Miami Beach withdraws eviction item
This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.