Balart, a Cuban-American Republican politician who defended immigrants and fiercely opposed Fidel Castro’s regime to help restore democracy in his native Cuba while serving for almost two decades in Congress representing South Florida,

His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from political leaders and community figures who hailed his legacy as a statesman and defender of human rights.

TAMPA, Fla. — Flags in Florida will be lowered on Friday to remember former Congressman Lincoln Díaz-Balart who died after battling cancer.