Three prominent Latin American political figures have endorsed Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar's reelection campaign in Florida, prompting accusations of foreign electoral interference from Democrats, including the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Argentina's President Javier Milei, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado have publicly backed Salazar, who is seeking another term representing Miami's heavily Hispanic 27th Congressional District, as The Washington Post points out.
On Monday, Salazar shared a video in which Milei addressed Miami voters and endorsed her reelection, praising her understanding of Latin America and opposition to the socialist left.
Last week, De la Espriella described Salazar as "Colombia's best friend in the United States Congress." Salazar had previously endorsed him during Colombia's presidential campaign in May. Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also expressed support for the congresswoman.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned Milei's intervention Tuesday. "President Milei's endorsement is an inappropriate intrusion into our democracy," Meeks said. "American elections are decided by American voters, not foreign heads of state."
Salazar dismissed the criticism, saying Meeks' "attacks are a badge of honor" and accusing her Democratic opponent of supporting a socialist agenda.
The endorsements come as Salazar faces Democratic challenger Eliott Rodriguez, a former Miami television journalist, in a district Trump carried by nearly 15 percentage points in 2024.
Salazar has recently criticized the administration's immigration enforcement policies, arguing that deportations have gone too far. In September, she faced criticism from Trump after releasing a campaign advertisement expressing those concerns.
Her position has drawn scrutiny from constituents. During a September church visit in Miami, Arianne Betancourt confronted Salazar about conditions at the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility, where her father had been held.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez released an advertisement featuring excerpts from Salazar's 1995 interview with Fidel Castro, questioning her anti-communist credentials. Salazar has maintained that excerpts from the interview misrepresent her reporting.
Early voting began October 19 in Miami-Dade County, ahead of the November 3 election.
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