(Note that the Florida academic travel law was initially held unconstitutional by a federal judge in 2008 before being overturned by the 11th Circuit in 2010).
The injunction was sought by the Brazilian company Odebrecht, which after receiving over $3 billion in Florida taxpayers contracts for over a decade, decided to partner with the Cuban military in the expansion of the Port of Mariel and, most recently, in the refurbishing of Castro's sugar industry.
While the legal battle is far from over, there are many choices surrounding the case of Odebrecht.
After conducting business for over a decade with the Cuban-American community and receiving billions in Florida taxpayer money, Odebrecht could have chosen to respect the victims of Cuba's dictatorship, rather than partnering with their oppressors.
Odebrecht chose to partner with their oppressors.
After the will of Florida's taxpayers was clearly expressed by the nearly unanimous passage of the law repudiating such ties with repressive regimes, Odebrecht could have simply chosen to cut its business ties with the Cuban military.
Odebrecht refused to do so.
Odebrecht's lawyer, former Florida Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero also had a choice.
He could have taken a stand for the victims of Cuba's brutal dictatorship -- those courageous pro-democracy activists fighting overwhelming odds -- rather than doing the high-price bidding of their oppressor's business partners.
Cantero chose their oppressor's business partners.
Miami-Dade County also has a choice.
Nothing in the preliminary ruling states that Miami-Dade County has to continue granting Odebrecht billions in taxpayer funds against the will of its taxpayers. Miami-Dade County is free to take a moral stand.
So will Miami-Dade County take a moral stand on behalf of its taxpayers or will it turn a blind-eye?
At the end of the day, one thing is for sure, Florida's taxpayers will have the final word.
