Xavier Suarez

The Arc

Xavier Suarez was born in Cuba in 1949 and came to the United States as a child during the post-revolution exodus. He was educated in the United States, earning degrees in engineering and law, and entered Miami politics in the 1980s. He was elected mayor of the City of Miami in 1985, becoming the first Cuban-born person to hold the office.

His electoral career later included a contested 1997 mayoral race whose result was overturned by the courts. In subsequent years he returned to office as a member of the Miami-Dade County Commission, where he served multiple terms. He is the father of Francis Suarez, who also became mayor of the City of Miami.

Why They Matter

Suarez's 1985 election marked the point at which the Cuban exile community moved from electoral force to city leadership in Miami itself. His career, and that of his son, are the core of the Suarez political family, a documented thread running through the city's modern history. His arc ties directly to the Cuban exile wave and the broader era in which exile-community politicians came to define City of Miami government.

Neighborhoods: Coral Gables Eras: The Latam Capital Era Related dynasties / people: The Suarez Family / Francis Suarez