Rubio Chooses Miami's Freedom Tower to Announce 2016 Plans

Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday told The Miami Herald that he plans to announce his 2016 intentions at a downtown landmark that was often the first stop for exiles fleeing Cuba, but the Florida Republican declined to disclose what political office he would be seeking.

Rubio, a first-generation Cuban-American, has scheduled an April 13 rally at Freedom Tower, the 11-story tower that, for more than a decade, was where refugees first met with U.S. government officials after leaving the island off the Florida coast.

"To me, it's a place that's symbolic of the promise of America," Rubio said in an interview with The Herald.

Rubio earlier in the week announced the date of his announcement during an appearance on Fox News.

Thursday's interview disclosed the location, and aides said he would not reveal his 2016 plans before the event at Freedom Tower.

The drip-drop release of information was designed to build buzz for the likely presidential contender, as was the nod to Rubio's potential as the nation's first Hispanic president.

"Literally, five decades ago, tens of thousands of people came here after losing their country and began their new life," Rubio told The Herald. "The first steps they took in this country were in the hall that we'll be standing in."

Rubio has made five visits and ten stops stops in New Hampshire, the home of the nation's first primary, according to NECN's 2016 New Hampshire Primary Candidate Tracker.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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