The Cuban American Bar Association, among others, recently submitted a formal request to all members of the Miami-Dade County Commission and Mayor Levine Cava, seeking their consideration to name the new Miami-Dade courthouse in honor of Osvaldo Soto.
“Throughout his life, Mr. Soto was a trailblazing attorney, civil rights advocate and lifelong defender of equality and justice for the Hispanic and minority communities in South Florida,” said Javier A. Ley-Soto, CABA president. “His name would serve as a meaningful tribute to our community’s past and a beacon for its future.”
According to CABA, Soto’s personal experiences as a Cuban exile “gave him a profound understanding of the struggles that immigrants faced in a new land. It was this deep empathy that fueled his relentless fight for civil rights in South Florida. After participating in the Bay of Pigs Invasion as a member of the Assault Brigade 2506, and subsequently through his involvement in CABA, and as president of the Spanish American League Against Discrimination (SALAD), which he co-founded, Mr. Soto focused his life’s work on combating discrimination based on race and ethnicity. His advocacy also extended to legislative battles, most notably his role in overturning the divisive English-Only ordinance passed in 1980.”
The new courthouse is expected to be completed in 2025 and is being built near the historic Miami-Dade County Courthouse located at 73 West Flagler Street, Miami.
“A date for discussion on the naming of the building has not been set but is expected soon,” said Ley-Soto.
Soto passed away in 2021.
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