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We wholeheartedly agree with Commissioner Fernandez’s recent op-ed, “The Politics of Intimidation Have No Place in Coral Gables.” Intimidation has no place in our city, and we must all work together to foster a political environment built on integrity, transparency, and respect. However, in addressing this issue, we must not turn a blind eye to the most egregious example of political intimidation in recent history—the dark-money-fueled attacks against our city’s current Mayor Vince Lago.
Over the past four years, we have witnessed a disturbing rise in intimidation tactics aimed at undermining our city’s leadership. Just last year, an effort to recall Mayor Lago was launched, not as a legitimate exercise in democracy, but as a blatant attempt to intimidate him, Vice Mayor Anderson, and the residents of Coral Gables who refused to support such underhanded tactics.
The funding for this recall remains shrouded in secrecy. As reported by the Miami Herald, the political committee behind this effort admitted to receiving dark money. To this day, we do not know who financed this campaign. What we do know is that residents were harassed at their homes by aggressive canvassers desperate to collect signatures—so desperate, in fact, that they resorted to forging signatures.
This fraudulent effort not only targeted Mayor Lago but also threatened the very fabric of our democratic process. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has since launched an investigation into these forged signatures, interviewing dozens of outraged residents — including friends, neighbors and relatives of ours — who felt their privacy was violated by unscrupulous political actors willing to trample over the values we hold dear in pursuit of their own agenda.
Commissioner Fernandez’s op-ed fails to acknowledge this deeply troubling episode, yet it stands as the clearest and most dangerous example of political intimidation in Coral Gables’ recent history. If we are to truly put an end to intimidation in our city’s politics, we must demand full transparency. Who financed this effort? Who directed it? And who allowed such blatant abuses to occur under the guise of civic engagement?
If we are serious about stopping the politics of intimidation, we cannot selectively call out behavior that is convenient to our own narratives while ignoring the glaring injustices that have already shaken our community. We urge all our fellow residents, elected officials, and community leaders to stand against all forms of political intimidation—regardless of who the target may be.
Coral Gables deserves better.
By:
Raul Valdes-Fauli, Mayor of Coral Gables (1993-2001, 2017-2021)
Jim Cason, Mayor of Coral Gables (2011-2017)
Rafael “Ralph” Cabrera Jr., Commissioner, (2001- 2013)
Wayne “Chip” Withers, Commissioner, (1991 – 2011)
