Miami Republicans elect 1st Venezuelan-American Vice-Chairman
By: Rey Anthony
Tags: Cuba, Trump, Latinoamerica, Republican Party, Venezuela

L to R: Vice-Chairman Gianfranco Puppio-Perez, US Senator Marco Rubio, & Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sen. Rene Garcia.

MIAMI, FLA — In a historic 1st, Miami-Dade County Republicans have elected Vice-Chair Gianfranco Puppio-Perez as their very first Venezuelan-American Board Member.

Having escaped Socialist Venezuela less than a decade ago, Puppio-Perez has rapidly risen through the ranks of the Miami-Dade GOP. Affectionately called by his surname, “Puppio” is a devoted volunteer, activist, and GOP loyalist who has served at the municipal, School Board, state, and federal levels for a slew of elected officials.

With the support of US Senator Marco Rubio, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sen. Rene Garcia, State Committeewoman Liliana Ros, and several local and state Republican leaders, Puppio-Perez was easily elected unopposed.

Most recently, Puppio-Perez served as the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) Regional Engagement Coordinator in Miami-Dade, where he led the Latinos for Trump coalition in the westernmost part of the county.

Puppio-Perez’s efforts led to tens of thousands of newly registered Republicans in targeted state legislative and congressional districts. His team of volunteers and Republican activists organized voter registration drives and promoted them on a series of WhatsApp groups and local Spanish-language programs that are consumed by Miami’s ever-growing and Republican-leaning Hispanic community.

“We would often leave the office after midnight,” said Republican activist Isela Hernandez, who spent countless nights registering hundreds of voters, mostly new American citizens of Cuban and/or Venezuelan descent, in Puppio-Perez’s Miami-Dade Latinos for Trump Community Center in West Miami-Dade adorned by flags that reflect Miami’s diverse Hispanic communities.

Puppio-Perez’s team of dedicated volunteers registered tens of thousands of new Republicans in a matter of weeks.

Puppio-Perez’s efforts produced shockwaves in Miami’s Republican circles and he was encouraged to run by long-time Miami-Dade Republican State Committeewoman, Liliana Ros, who has made voter registration a priority for the local GOP.

“We have never seen this level of enthusiasm from our Latin-American neighbors. We need to keep growing and expanding our party and there is no one who understands that better than Puppio” remarked Ros, who was Puppio-Perez’s chief backer and the woman responsible for spearheading the creation of Republican clubs in every ethnic community in Miami-Dade.

Puppio-Perez shortly after being elected unopposed as Vice-Chairman of the Miami-Dade Republican Party. He was nominated by newly-elected Chairman Senator Rene Garcia — a current Miami-Dade County Commissioner.

Puppio-Perez’s election further cements a growing trend of GOP loyalty by the Venezuelan exile community in Miami-Dade. In 2020, the City of Doral, the most Venezuelan city in America, voted for the Republican Presidential candidate for the first time ever. It was an adamant rejection of socialism and a massive showing of support for the Trump administration’s policy towards the Maduro regime.

In short, the Trump campaign achieved what many had failed to do for decades: align the Venezuelan exile community with the Republican Party.

As the Venezuelan community continues to grow across Miami-Dade and the State of Florida, empowering leaders like Puppio-Perez is key to making in-roads in this critical voting bloc.

After the results of last week’s December run-off election, the City of Doral will once again have a Venezuelan-American serving on the Council: Republican businessman Oscar Puig. And as of last night’s election, the Republican Party of Miami-Dade will now have its very 1st Venezuelan-American Vice-Chairman: Gianfranco Puppio-Perez.