South Florida’s Colombians are again trying to unite and claim U.S. political influence, an effort that has been foiled by past political infighting and apathy.

“Heading into a presidential election, where Florida’s non-Cuban Latino voters are poised to exert unprecedented influence, there are new signs that parts of the Colombian community are trying yet again to overcome the differences that have limited their unity — and their political might.

They’ve created a Miami-Dade Democratic Council to groom candidates. An Oct. 6 tourism conference in Miami will bring together community group leaders from several states to forge new alliances.

The Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce and state Rep. Juan Carlos Zapata, a Republican, went to Washington last week to lobby for Colombia’s free-trade agreement, imperiled in a Democrat-controlled Congress concerned about human rights.”

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