Sweetwater Mayor Orlando Lopez must be feeling the heat as the days get closer and closer to the runoff for his seat against former mayor and longtime 
nemesis Jose M. Diaz — and, perhaps, his ouster from City Hall.
Because on Monday and Tuesday, a week before the runoff, a mailer landed in some voters’ mailboxes touting what looks like endorsements from five electeds — when it should only be three.
“Community leaders support our mayor,” reads the headline over the photos of three city commissioners and two county commissioners.
Read related: Sweetwater mayoral runoff is a ‘shoot-out’ between arch enemies
But while Lopez may be backed by newly-elected City Commissioners Saul Diaz and Sophia Lacayo and Commissioner Cecilia Holtz-Alonso, both county commissioners told Ladra that they are not supporting him.
“I don’t think I’ve spoken to Mr. Lopez since the FIU bridge collapse,” said Commissioner Joe Martinez. “I am not involved in that race at all.”
Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz didn’t return my calls and answered my 
text by pointing me to his social media.
“Today I received notification that campaign propaganda has been circulating indicating that I am supporting Mayor Orlando Lopez for the City of Sweetwater elections,” Diaz tweeted at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday. “I want to make it clear that I am not supporting any of the candidates, neither Orlando Lopez nor Jose M. Diaz…
Read related: Sweetwater race results are a loss for Miami-Dade’s Pepe Diaz
“However, I urge all the residents to go out to vote on May 28. I will work with our next mayor for the betterment of our city and our residents.”
Fake endorsements are usually a sign of desperation. But Lopez said it was simply a misunderstanding.
“Commissioner Diaz said he was going to vote for me so I took that to mean he supported me,” Lopez said.
An unlikely story. Not just because Lopez is the only mayor of a District 12 municipality not to endorse Diaz in the county commissioner’s re-election last year and because las malas lenguas say County Commissioner Diaz was behind the failed Lopez recall effort.
But also because Lopez hasn’t spoken to Martinez since the FIU bridge collapse. And Martinez doesn’t vote in Sweetwater.
Sweetwater mayor touts fake endorsements he doesn’t have added by Ladra on
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Pretty sad but telling that Nicaraguan Americans are the majority in Sweet Water yet they are politically impotent by CHOICE .
This is irrelevant. The Sweetwater race should be a no-brainer. In only a year and a half as interim Mayor, Jose Diaz left the City on the brink of bankruptcy, $3 million in debt! We almost lost our Police Department and the State almost had to take over the City. Sweetwater literally almost ceased to exist under his short reign. Not to mention all the corruption in the Police department, all the evidence (drugs, money, guns) that “disappeared” from the evidence room. Hell, they even lost a police horse! Oh, and did I mention that Diaz has 2 sexual harassment allegations against him from 2 different secretaries he had?
Orlando Lopez saved the City from the $3 million + debt and near bankruptcy left by interim mayor Jose Diaz. The City now has a budget surplus, which is very rare. Orlando literally turned the city around.
He hired a former FBI agent as the finance director (who investigated financial crimes in municipalities and large corporations, also created a position of purchasing agent to scrutinize all purchases in the city)
Retrained all police officers during the process of State Accreditation, doubled the police force from 25 to 46 full-time police officers – purchased 18 new police vehicles to replace the dilapidated and aging fleet, raining ALPR (Automated Licence Plate Recognition) vehicles to catch stolen vehicles
Repaired 43 blocks of roads and over 700 linear feet of sidewalks during the first year of an ongoing capital improvement program. This effort will eventually fix all city roads in need of repair and damaged sidewalks throughout the next few years.
Increased food distributions available to residents from once a week to twice a week.
Comprehensive restoration of the city’s largest parks through a variety of improvements including shaded and padded playing surfaces, and new LED lighting.
The development of three new mixed-use office/commercial buildings that will increase the city’s revenues through expanding the city’s tax base and the attraction of new commerce and jobs.
Orlando Lopez saved the City and has transformed it. The debt is gone, the corruption is gone, the flooding is gone, the dilapidated streets and sidewalks are gone. And we now have trees! He planted 500 trees in the City and more are coming! Everything Diaz says he wants to do if elected, Orlando already did.
Anyone who votes for Diaz knowing these facts must have a severe case of cognitive dissonance.
I don’t support talk or promises. I only support actions and what the eyes can see. So far I see the actions of our Mayor Lopez improvements of our city’s sidewalks and our elderly community rental control and the minimizing of crime. That said, This is the Mayor who I will support.
Right on, Janet. Orlando has turned this City around. The results are obvious.
Votes & Support are Always for sale ? Who gives More ? Quien da Mas ? And on A PAY TO PLAY County ? El Pantano de Miami Dade ?
Where is the story on ADLP? The ab distruction that the SAO is lopking into
Winter is coming. Stay tuned.
Love, Ladra