In a May 2026 opinion piece for Florida’s Voice, Angela de Céspedes argues that the question about Cuba’s liberation is when, not whether — and that Florida should be preparing now.
Angela de Céspedes writes as a descendant of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, who declared Cuba’s independence from Spain in 1868 and is remembered on the island as el Padre de la Patria. Her op-ed, published in Florida’s Voice on May 14, 2026, begins with that inheritance and with a conviction that liberty is not handed down by regimes but, in her words, “taken back by free people.” The piece is not a lament. It is a planning document.
Her argument is that Florida — ninety miles away, and home to the largest Cuban community outside Cuba — is the natural place from which a post-regime recovery would be organized, and that the state should build the institutions for that day before it arrives. She proposes three concrete steps. First, a Florida–Cuba free-enterprise bridge that puts the state’s ports, universities, and banks to work facilitating trade and entrepreneurship. Second, legal architecture: Florida’s Cuban-American lawyers and scholars should be drafting model commercial codes and property-title frameworks now, and preparing the judicial training a rebuilt legal system would need, so that the rule of law can be restored quickly rather than improvised. Third, human infrastructure — professional exchange programs and mentorship networks — so that what Florida offers is expertise, not only aid.
The through-line is practical: sentiment alone will not rebuild a country, but preparation and institutional readiness can. For a Miami-based trial lawyer whose practice already spans government counseling and cross-border disputes, it is a natural subject, and a personal one.
The views expressed in the op-ed are Angela’s own.
Read the op-ed: Cuba’s freedom will require Florida’s leadership — Angela C. de Céspedes, Florida’s Voice (Opinion), May 14, 2026
About Angela C. de Céspedes
Angela C. de Céspedes is a shareholder in the firm’s Miami office — a trial lawyer and strategic litigation advisor with more than 25 years of experience in complex, high-stakes disputes in the United States and internationally. Admitted in Florida and New York, she represents corporations, executives, investors, and government entities, and she writes and lectures frequently on litigation strategy and the legal landscape of sports, entertainment, media, and emerging technologies.
Publication spotlights summarize work our attorneys have published elsewhere; the views expressed in the original pieces are the authors’ own. Insights posts are offered for general information and are not legal advice.
