Former Florida GOP Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, the brother of Florida GOP Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, passed away at 70 according to an announcement from his family on Monday.

The statement from his family read, "Lincoln’s profound love for the United States and his relentless commitment to the cause of a free Cuba guided him throughout his life and his 24 years in elected public service, including 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. We will miss him infinitely."

While the family declined to confirm the cause of the former Congressman's death, other reports have claimed it was cancer that led to Diaz-Balart's passing.

He is survived by his wife Christina, his son Daniel, three brothers, and three grandchildren.

Architect Of The Cuban Embargo

Diaz-Balart represented Florida's 21st district from 1993 to 2011 and was the main architect of the United States's embargo against communist Cuba.

He was also the co-chair emeritus of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. By every metric, Diaz-Balart was an important figure for the Cuban-American community in Florida, and his death will be felt far and wide.

Diaz-Balart, like many of Florida's Cuban population, was a survivor of the communist takeover of Cuba by dictator Fidel Castro in 1959.

Diaz-Balart was born in Havana but left Cuba with his family and made it his life mission to fight to free Cuba from the grips of the Castro dictatorship. The news of Diaz-Balart's death spread quickly and prompted an outpouring of tributes.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, himself a Cuban-American, issued a statement saying, "The life and legacy of Lincoln Díaz-Balart is a tribute to the American Dream and the unwavering defense of human rights and democracy in our region. Lincoln’s vision and leadership, after 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and over 20 years in public service, are a testament to his profound love for the United States and the cause of freedom and democracy."

Jeff Bartel, who was Díaz-Balart’s chief of staff, praised his work for the Cuban-American community by saying, "No one was more devoted to his family, his community, or the cause of democracy. His passion for freedom, especially for the Cuban people, was relentless. Losing Lincoln is an immeasurable loss."

Future Of Cuba

Tragically, Lincoln Diaz-Balart didn't live to see Cuba freed from tyranny, but there is still hope that the communist Castro regime will finally collapse after years of slow decay.

He did at least get to see Fidel Castro bite the dust in 2016 after decades of dictatorship. Castro ruled Cuba from 1959 to his death in 2016, although he began handing over presidential responsibilities to his brother after experiencing health issues.

In the half-century of Castro's rule, Cuba has suffered and fallen behind the rest of the world as the Castro family refuses to allow democratic elections with multiple political parties.

The Castro regime also refuses to allow an independent press and labor unions. Until the Castro regime reforms those positions, the embargo crafted by Díaz-Balart will remain in place.

The Cuban American community has hope for the Castro regime being forced to reform in the coming years, but those hopes may never come to fruition as the Castros have found a way to be unspeakably wealthy even as Cuba fails.