Municipal councilor Luis Viera explains what inspired him to enter politics

TAMPA, Fla. – When you walk into Councilman Luis Viera’s office at City Hall, you see his walls covered with photos and artifacts that inspire him.

‘That’s Fannie Lou Hamer, of course. My favorites here are Bobby Kennedy, this FDR clock is from 1944,” he said as he showed me around his office.

Viera has represented District 7, consisting of North Tampa and New Tampa, since 2016. “And I won my first race by 65 votes. It was very exciting, very exciting,” said Viera.

If you ask Viera why he entered politics, he will tell you about his brother Juan, who has an intellectual disability.

“You know, growing up with Juan obviously had a big influence on my life, in terms of tolerance, empathy and compassion.” That empathy and passion fuel his desire to represent his constituents and those without a voice.

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“You have to come from the heart and that’s something that I think unites all Latinos, is that we strive to come from the heart,” Viera said. “We are all very emotional, so to speak. We wear our emotions on our sleeves.”

Councilman Viera grew up in the Temple Terrance neighborhood and is proud of his Cuban roots.

“I have always been proud to be a voice for all refugees, not just for people who look like me, but for all refugees, because again, the compassion that this great country had for my parents sixty years ago, must still exist. for people,” says Viera.