New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio faced questions at a press conference in Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital on Friday, June 28, following controversy surrounding his use of a well-known Che Guevara quote at an event in Miami a day earlier. De Blasio found himself in hot water after he shouted “Hasta la victoria, siempre!” at a rally for striking workers at the Miami International Airport on Thursday, after attending the first Democratic primary debate on Wednesday evening, according to Time. The Spanish phrase, meaning “Until victory, always!” was coined by Cuban Marxist revolutionary leader Guevara, and caused offence to many in Miami, which is home to a large population of Cuban refugees. Florida Senator Annette Taddeo tweeted that she was “disgusted” by de Blasio’s use of the phrase. “How can anyone wanting to be the leader of the free world quote a murderous guerrilla – in Miami no less! A community filled with his victims!” De Blasio apologized via Twitter on Thursday, saying he did not know the phrase was associated with Che Guevara. “I did not mean to offend anyone who heard it that way. I certainly apologize for not understanding that history. I only meant it as a literal message to the striking airport workers that I believed they would be victorious in their strike.” At Friday’s unrelated press conference, de Blasio faced a new round of questions about the incident. “You can ask 1,000 times and I will give you the same answer: I had no idea it was associated with any one individual,” he said. “I went to many many events where that phrase was used with no reference to being about anybody, but just, like ‘si se puede,’ just a statement. Keep fighting ’til you win.” Credit: Bill de Blasio via Storyful