During a rally with members of SEIU at Miami International Airport, de Blasio told the crowd “the eyes of the world are on this airport, the eyes of the world are on Miami-Dade — and we are not going to let these workers down”.Then he said “hasta la victoria siempre!”
The phrase roughly translates to “ever on to victory” or “until victory always” and was a mantra for Che Guevara.
Two politicians at the rally later blasted de Blasio, Democrat Florida state Sen. Jose Javier Rodríguez tweeted “Quoting a murderer responsible for death & oppression in communist Cuba and throughout Latin America is not acceptable. Please apologize.”
Democrat State Sen. Annette Taddeo tweeted “I am utterly disgusted!This is completely unacceptable! How can anyone wanting to be the leader of the free world quote a murderous guerrilla -in Miami no less! A community filled with his victims! #DeleteYourCampaign”
De Blasio who honeymooned in Cuba later tried to claim ignorance about the quote, later writing, “I did not know the phrase I used in Miami today was associated with Che Guevara & I did not mean to offend anyone who heard it that way. I certainly apologize for not understanding that history.I only meant it as a literal message to the striking airport workers that I believed they would be victorious in their strike”.
This is a guy who studied Latin American politics while getting a Masters in International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and he traveled to Nicaragua to support the Sandinista National Liberation Front.He knew exactly who he was quoting.