Adam Smith Center honors FIFA president, six others as “champions of freedom”

For the third consecutive year, FIU’s Adam Smith Center hosted its black-tie Champion of Freedom Dinner and Celebration, honoring seven distinguished leaders across government, business, sports, journalism and the arts, individuals whose lives and careers embody the enduring ideals of liberty, free enterprise, and human prosperity. The gala was held earlier this month at Trump National Doral in Miami.

“This celebration is a reminder that the ideas we champion are not abstract. They are alive in every entrepreneur who takes a risk, in every student who dares to think freely and in every leader who chooses principle over personal gain,” said Carlos Díaz-Rosillo, founding director of the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom. “The seven individuals we are honoring embody the enduring power of freedom through a commitment to shape nations, markets and lives.”

The evening brought together current and former heads of state from Latin America, senior government officials, business trailblazers, philanthropists and community leaders to celebrate shared values, vision and an unwavering commitment to liberty.

“Freedom, opportunity and prosperity do not happen by accident," said Jeanette M. Nuñez, president of FIU. “They are built through leadership, innovation, courage and a steadfast commitment to the principles that sustain free societies.”

The event carried special significance this year as it coincided with the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and Adam Smith's landmark The Wealth of Nations, twin milestones that remind the world that the principles of freedom are not merely historical artifacts but living commitments that must be championed anew in every generation.

The following honorees were recognized with the evening's highest awards:

• Champion of Freedom: Luis Abinader, president of the Dominican Republic
• Titan of Freedom: Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA
• Light of Congress: Bernie Moreno, United States senator
• Flare of Freedom: Maris Franca Llorens-Antognoli, businesswoman and philanthropist
• Vox Libertatis: Enrique Acevedo, journalist and news anchor
• International Business Leader: Antonio Huertas, chairman and CEO, Mapfre
• Beacon of Freedom: Yotuel Romero, singer and songwriter

Among the honorees, Senator Bernie Moreno framed the moment as a critical inflection point for the Western Hemisphere, and a call to action for those who believe in freedom's promise.

“This is a 250-year-old country come July Fourth, and freedom and the battle for freedom have been raging for all of humankind,” he said. “We cannot be silent and sit on the sidelines any longer. We have a window of opportunity right now to transform the Western Hemisphere into a Hemisphere of total prosperity and security…where the American Dream is the dream of the Americas. We have to do whatever it takes because freedom does not happen by itself.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino drew a connection between the unifying power of sports and the broader ideal of freedom, pointing to the upcoming FIFA World Cup as a timely symbol of what shared humanity can achieve.

“The FIFA World Cup will unite the world, and freedom is as well about unity. It is about coming together,” he said. “Our world, especially now, definitely needs reasons to come together and to experience and stay with each other in joy and in happiness.”

For Cuban-born singer and songwriter Yotuel Romero, composer of Patria y Vida, the anthem of Cuba’s 2021 pro-democracy uprising, the evening was deeply personal. Honored with the Beacon of Freedom Award, Romero delivered a powerful performance alongside students from FIU’s Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts, reminding all in attendance that the call for freedom still echoes for millions living under oppression.

“Never be afraid to do good. Never be afraid to help your people. To help, that word nowadays is so rare, but yes, Cuba must be helped, it must be helped to be free, it must be helped to rise up, it must be helped in so many ways,” Romero said. “I know that so many people who are here today will be the first to go to Cuba to place their hands and their faith in those people who have spent decades waiting for a cry of freedom.”

The evening's Champion of Freedom Award went to Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, whose remarks offered a philosophical capstone to the celebration, reminding the audience that freedom is not a prize to be claimed, but a practice to be sustained.

“Freedom is not possessed, it is exercised. And in that constant exercise, both its greatness and its fragility are revealed,” he said. “A free society is not one where the individual is isolated, but one where, through clear rules and the moral sympathy that binds us to others, each person can contribute to the common good from their own life project.”