Miami-Dade Chairman Diaz has surgery for tumor

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz had surgery Thursday after being diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma tumor, his office said.

Diaz, who recently battled COVID-19, is “currently in recovery and in stable condition,” his staff reported.

Acoustic neuromas are noncancerous tumors that grow in the nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain and can affect hearing and balance.

Diaz and his chief of staff tested positive for COVID-19 on July 11. He said he had been vaccinated, getting Pfizer doses in February and March.

Diaz briefly checked himself in at Jackson Memorial Hospital with trouble breathing after his COVID diagnosis.

No other information was made immediately available about his acoustic neuroma diagnosis.