Earned media about the story of Ana Lázara Rodriguez

In the summer of 2021, as the communications director for Floridians for Honest Lending, I helped to organize a number of press conferences outside the home of Ana Lázara Rodriguez. Ms. Rodriguez, who was a former political prisoner held in Fidel Castro’s jails before she fled to the United States in the 1980s, claimed she was the victim of mortgage fraud, and was facing foreclosure as a result. Her attorney Bruce Jacobs asserted that her mortgage papers were fraudulent because they contained illegal “robo-signed” signatures on them.

Here is some of the press coverage we achieved through these press conferences:

February 24, 2021: Univision Miami: “Expresa política cubana víctima de fraude lucha por no perder su vivienda en Miami”

August 6, 2021: Telemundo Miami: “Juez falla a favor de desalojo de ex presa política cubana”

Sept. 10, 2021: Actualidad Radio:

We arranged for Ana Lazara Rodriguez to be a guest of Julio Cesar Camacho on Actualidad Radio, a popular Spanish-language radio station in South Florida. As part of this program, we paid for “advertorial” airtime, which meant the interview would air multiple times in the month of September.

She shared her story about being a political prisoner in Cuba, about coming to the USA, and owing a home here. She talked about what was happening with her foreclosure case, emphasizing the fraudulent practices by the banks.

And she emphasized that her story was not unique. There are hundreds of homeowners in Miami-Dade and Broward County who are victims of fraudulent robo-signed and illegally rubber-stamped documents.

Sept. 13, 2021: CBS News Miami: “Former Cuban Political Prisoner Keeping Up Her Legal Battle To Stay In Home"

Earned Media, FHLChristopher Richmondpress advisory