The Democratic candidate, Eliott Rodríguez, urged Republican congresswoman María Elvira Salazar to return the $112,000 contributed during the current electoral cycle by Honduran businessman Lenir Pérez, who is facing criminal charges for alleged environmental offenses related to a controversial mining project in Honduras.
The demand, reported by WLRN, arose on Saturday, after an investigation by the Miami Herald revealed that Pérez is among Salazar's largest political contributors in this election cycle.
According to campaign financing records cited by the media outlet, Pérez donated on May 5 $105,000 to joint fundraising and political leadership committees associated with Salazar; in addition to $7,000 directly to his campaign committee.
On that same day, the businessman donated another $88,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), an independent contribution separate from the $112,000 related to Salazar.
According to the Herald, financier JW Childs is the only other donor matching that amount in the electoral cycle.
Rodríguez questions the donations to Salazar
After the investigation came to light, Rodríguez accused his Republican rival of embodying the "culture of corruption in Washington, political hypocrisy, and a disregard for accountability."
“What did this donor expect in return for their extraordinary financial support? And why doesn't Salazar answer the questions that voters in South Florida have every right to ask?”, asked the Democratic candidate.
The criticisms arise in a campaign where Rodríguez has questioned other contributions received by Salazar.
In December 2023, the congresswoman returned two donations totaling 750 dollars from the former U.S. diplomat Manuel Rocha, who was later convicted in April 2024 for acting for decades as an undercover agent of the Cuban government.
It was also revealed that Fernando Armando Valdés Pérez, identified by U.S. authorities as an asset of Cuban intelligence, donated $3,900 to Salazar's campaign. The congresswoman announced that she would allocate that money to organizations working for a free Cuba.
"Salazar instructs this community on the need to resist the Cuban regime, but his campaign accepted contributions from two men who federal authorities later revealed as being part of that regime," Rodríguez stated.
“Now another major donor is facing serious criminal accusations. Voters have, once again, every reason to demand answers from him,” he added.
A meeting at a property registered with the FBI
The investigation also revealed that, days after making his contributions, Pérez posted a photo on social media alongside Salazar at his equestrian property in Wellington, Florida, valued at around 10 million dollars.
The residence had been registered by the FBI in April 2023, as part of a federal investigation into an American steel company that allegedly had business ties with the Los Pinares mining project, according to information cited by the newspaper.
The president of the National Congress of Honduras, Tomás Zambrano, also published photographs with Salazar during what appeared to be the same meeting.
The Miami Herald sought to find out what matters were discussed during the meeting and the reasons behind the significant political contributions. Neither Salazar, nor Pérez, nor Zambrano responded to the newspaper's questions.
Salazar chairs the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives, where he engages in matters related to U.S. policy towards Honduras and other countries in the region.
The accusations against Lenir Pérez in Honduras
In September 2024, the Special Prosecutor's Office for the Environment of Honduras presented an indictment against Pérez and others for the alleged illegal exploitation of mineral and forest resources in the Carlos Escaleras Mejía National Park, located in the department of Colón.
The accusation asserts that the Los Pinares project, dedicated to the extraction and processing of iron oxide, operated beyond the authorized limits from approximately 2013 to May 2021.
Mining exploitation has sparked a prolonged controversy with local communities and environmental organizations, which have questioned both the permits granted and the project's consequences for the protected area.
In 2024, the Honduran Congress approved a measure to reverse previous decisions that had allowed mining activities within the national park.
The dispute has also been marked by episodes of violence against environmental defenders. At least five leaders of the movement opposing the mine were killed between 2019 and 2024, according to journalistic research.
Among them is Juan Antonio López, a municipal councilor and environmental defender who was shot and killed on September 14, 2024, after leaving a church in Tocoa. Ten days after that crime, the Honduran Prosecutor's Office filed environmental charges against Pérez and others involved.
However, no formal connection has been established between Pérez and the murders of the activists, as noted by the Miami Herald. The businessman denies having committed any wrongdoing, and his companies assert that the mining operations have been environmentally responsible and have created jobs. The environmental criminal proceedings remain ongoing.
A close electoral dispute in Miami
Salazar and Rodríguez are competing for the 27th Congressional District of Florida, which includes Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, and Palmetto Bay, among other areas of Miami-Dade.
The Republican congresswoman, who has held her seat since 2021, is seeking a fourth consecutive term and has the support of President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei, who released a video supporting her reelection.
Rodríguez, former host of CBS Miami and son of Cuban parents, received the support of the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries.
Two surveys cited during the campaign reflect a close competition: Bendixen & Amandi recorded 45% support for each candidate, while Tulchin Research placed Salazar at 47% compared to Rodríguez's 46%. These differences should be interpreted considering the margins of error and the characteristics of each survey.
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