Humberto J. Cortina (born August 7, 1941) was an American politician in the state of Florida. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1982 to 1984 for the 113th district.

Humberto Cortina
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 113th district
In office
1982–1984
Preceded byBill Sadowski[1]
Succeeded byLuis C. Morse
Personal details
Born (1941-08-07) August 7, 1941 (age 83)
Havana, Cuba
Political partyRepublican
Residence(s)Miami, Florida
Occupationconsultant

Early life

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Cortina was born in Cuba and came to the United States in 1960. He is a veteran of the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, as a member of the Brigada de Asalto 2506. He was injured in the invasion and captured, spending nearly two years in a prison in Cuba before a ransom was paid for the release of the captured Brigada members.[2][3][4] His grandfather was José Manuel Cortina, president of the League of Nations, and his father was Humberto J. Cortina Sr. was a Cuban legislator.[3] His cousin, Johnny López de la Cruz, also served in Brigada 2506.[4]

Cortina became an investment banker in Miami, Florida.[5]

Political career

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He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1982 to 1984 for the 113th district.[6] He won the 1982 election against Democrat Lincoln Diaz-Balart with 6,539 votes, compared to Diaz-Balart's 5,784 votes.[7] In 1983, with fellow representative Ileana Ros, he opposed a proposal to remove a required Florida high school course on Communism.[5]

Later life

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Cortina later became an executive for Havana Cool, a 1992 proposal to create a basketball franchise in Cuba.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Our Campaigns - FL State House 113 Race - Nov 02, 1982".
  2. ^ "HistoryMiami launches new series with Bay of Pigs invasion forum | Miami Herald". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25.
  3. ^ a b Kaczor, Bill (April 17, 1983). "Everything you always wanted to know about lawmakers..." Tallahassee Democrat. p. 29. Retrieved August 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "60 years after the Bay of Pigs invasion, no regime change appears likely in Cuba". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  5. ^ a b "FLORIDA DEBATES LAW ON CLASS ON COMMUNISM (Published 1983)". The New York Times. 1983-05-04. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  6. ^ Ward, Robert L. / Florida House of Representatives (2011). "Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County, 1845-2012" (PDF). Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  7. ^ "November 2, 1982 General Election". results.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  8. ^ Glick, Shav (1992-08-02). "Havana Cool Needs a Break to Join NBA". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-08-21.