David Rivera's friends - sans Marco Rubio - come to the rescue on bail

Everybody loves David Rivera.

Even now.

Even after the guilty verdicts for acting as an unregistered foreign agent and money laundering in the Venezuela lobbying scandal. Even after prosecutors painted the once-fiery anti-communist congressman as a secret $50 million paid advocate for the Maduro regime. Even with a sentencing date looming and a tax case still hanging over his head like a South Florida thundercloud. People are still lining up to vouch for him — with cash, houses and reputations.

And honestly? That may be the most David Rivera thing ever.

Because if there is one thing Rivera has always been extraordinarily good at — besides surviving political extinction events that would vaporize lesser mortals — it’s inspiring loyalty.

The kind of loyalty that makes people mortgage their credibility for you. The kind of loyalty that makes old friends write letters to a federal judge saying, in essence, “No, really, Your Honor. We swear this one won’t flee.”

A motion to set bail for Rivera filed last week is filled with letters from friends and supporters who want him out and free as he await sentencing.

Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia, who worked alongside Rivera for years, offered up her home as collateral for Rivera’s bail package. Former county commissioner Juan Carlos Zapata offered his own home and vouched for Rivera’s “opposition to the evils of communism.” Former State Rep. Manuel “Manny” Prieguez offered his home, valued at $1.6 million. Yvonne Soler McKinley, former city manager of both Doral and South Miami, offered her home valued at $560,000. Former Florida International University president Mark Rosenberg offered his home, valued at $500,000. Two lifelong friends, Evelyn Pate and Isabel Fernandez de Luna, offered their homes, valued at $800,000 and $300,000, respectively, as surety. Former FIU President Mitch Maidique and attorney Alex “No Pagues Ese Ticket” Hanna each pledged $100,000.

That’s not casual support. That’s “we ride at dawn” support.

Garcia’s letter read like something from the old Tallahassee days, when Rivera was the golden boy of Miami Cuban Republican politics and everybody wanted a seat at the cafeteria table. She called him a man who “always put Florida and its people first.”

And to be fair, there was a time when half of Miami politics would’ve agreed with her.

Rivera wasn’t just another politician. He was the crusader. The articulate conservative kid from Miami who could quote policy as well as plays, charm abuelitas, work a room and savage Democrats before dessert arrived. He was fiercely and loudly anti-communist. And he was the ambitious political animal who helped build the modern Miami Republican machine alongside his best friend and Tallahassee roommate, Marco Rubio.

Ah yes. Marco. Has anybody seen our Secretary of State?

Because while Rivera’s old allies are putting their homes on the line, that one name brilla por su ausencia.

Not a polite character reference. Not even a social media post ala “David is a good man who made mistakes.” Nada.

And this is not just some old acquaintance. Rivera and Rubio were Miami political folklore. They rose together. Campaigned together. Lived together in Tallahassee. Rivera helped engineer Rubio’s rise to Speaker of the Florida House and later to the U.S. Senate. Rubio himself acknowledged Rivera’s loyalty during testimony earlier this year.

But when Rivera needed public backing most, Rubio stayed carefully — exquisitely — silent.

To be fair, Rubio already did Rivera one enormous favor just by taking the stand during the trial and confirming Rivera had always presented himself as a staunch anti-communist. Rubio testified he would have been “shocked” had he known about Rivera’s consulting deal tied to Venezuela’s oil company.

That testimony probably helped Rivera, who Ladra calls “Nine Lives” because he keeps surviving political disasters, more than prosecutors expected.

But a courtroom subpoena is one thing. Voluntarily putting your name — or your property — behind David Rivera in 2026 is another.

Especially when you’re now America’s Secretary of State and the case involves allegations tied to Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuela while the former dictator sits in a U.S. jail awaiting trial after being snatched by our military. That’s a Tom Clancy novel waiting to be written.

Rubio knows the optics here. Better than anybody. And maybe that’s what makes this whole thing so painfully Miami.

Because even now, even after convictions and scandals and headlines and years of whispers, David Rivera still has people willing to risk real money for him.

Just not the one friend everybody that probably matters most.

This kind of independent, government watchdog reporting is crucial to transparency and democracy. And more so every day. Help shine a light on the darker corners of our community with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here. Ladra thanks you for your support.

David Rivera’s friends — sans Marco Rubio — come to the rescue on bail added by Ladra on May 26, 2026
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