Salazar refuses to discuss Taddeo

KENDALL, FL. – Rep. María Elvira Salazar, who represented Florida’s 27th congressional district last year, has declined to debate Florida Senator Annette Taddeo, who is campaigning to have her removed.

Salazar, a Cuban-American Republican, said during a campaign halt on Friday that she did not have to debate Taddeo, a Colombian-American Democrat.

“People know what she stands for; People know what I stand for,” Salazar said.

During a news conference, Salazar said Taddeo supports President Joe Biden’s economic policies. In response, Taddeo, a businesswoman, said she was willing to debate with Salazar, a retired journalist.

“I think it’s also an insult to our constituents, to our community, but also to her career, because she’s coming from the media and as someone claims she’s all about freedom of democracy, democracy comes with freedom of the press, the ability to ask questions to answer,” said Taddeo.

Salazar and Taddeo have different views on access to abortion.

“I will vote for Roe v. Codify Wade, and we should, and she’s not, she actually voted against,” Taddeo said.

This could be a point of contention for the conservative Colombian Americans in the district. The issue of immigration also divides the Colombian-US vote.

Taddeo has confronted Salazar for not speaking out against Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent migrant flights.

Salazar is the daughter of Cuban exiles fleeing Fidel Castro’s regime, and Taddeo’s family fell victim to a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla who kidnapped her father in Colombia.

Their views on foreign policy are similar. But most conservative Colombian-Americans in Kendall are loyal to former Colombian Presidents Alvaro Uribe and Ivan Duque.

On Friday, Taddeo slammed Salazar for statements implying she had the approval of Duque and Uribe, although neither of them had made such an announcement.

“The truth is none of them were involved.” wrote Taddeo, who if elected would become the first Jewish Latina to serve in the US Congress.