Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27)
Born in Miami’s Little Havana to Cuban parents who emigrated to the United States, fleeing Cuba due to the arrival of Fidel Castro to power. With only five dollars in their pockets, the pursuit of freedom and the American dream was instilled in María at an early age by her parents. Maria graduated from the University of Miami and later from Harvard University, which she paid for herself. A rising star in the field of journalism, Salazar’s career took her all over the world. She became the anchor for CNN Español, the first time a major news network had a broadcast fully in Spanish. She has covered the White House and the Gulf War, and she has personally interviewed many world leaders in the U.S. and Latin America. Maria has won five Emmy Awards for uncovering oppressive, communist and socialist regimes in Latin America, especially in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
