The Cuban opponent received the prize during the América Libre forum, where she denounced repression on the island.
Madrid, Spain.- Cuban opponent Rosa María Payá was This game is awardedS with the Human Rights Award of the Christian Democratic Organization of America (ODCA) during the América Libre forum, which brought together defenders from Freedom from America and Europe. Recognition, represented in the sculpture of Tree of lifehe was given in merit to his activism in defense of human rights, his commitment to freedom and his leadership in international civic causes.
In his speech, Payá thanked the distinction and stressed that he received it on behalf of those who continue to fight peacefully against repression. “I want to accept this award in the name of Cubans who today, from the island, risk their lives, risk their freedom for democracy; in the name of the more than a thousand political prisoners who suffer in the prisons of Cuba,” he said.
The activist also paid tribute to referents who previously received this award, such as the Venezuelan leader María Corina Machado and the Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez. “Receiving the Odca Human Rights Award is an immense honor. I am moving to receive an award that has already been given on two previous occasions to two of my personal references,” he said.
Civic struggle trajectory
Rosa María Payá founded in 2015 the Cuba Cuba Decide, a movement that promotes a binding plebiscite so that Cubans decide at the polls a democratic transition. She is the deceased daughter Oswaldo Payáleader of the Christian Liberation Movement, awarded the Sájarov Award of the European Parliament and twice nominated for the Nobel Peace. Oswaldo Payá died in 2012 in an accident that his family and international organizations have denounced as a political murder perpetrated by the Cuban regime.
In 2025, the activist was elected by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) as commissioner of the Inter -American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for the period 2026-2029.
In the América Libre forum, a space that articulates social leaders, politicians and defenders of democracy in the region, actively participates.
A speech focused on Cuba and the region
In his message, Payá denounced the critical situation that the island crosses, marked by food shortages, the collapse of basic services and political repression that keeps more than 1,200 people imprisoned for reasons of consciousness. “Families survive with two or three hours of electricity per day, without medications and in cities where the current water does not arrive for more than six months. Hunger is the biggest concern of Cuban fathers and mothers at this time,” he said.
He also stressed that Castroism not only oppresses millions of Cubans, but also extends their tentacles throughout the hemisphere “, with a direct impact on the stability of countries such as Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Criticism of the role of Mexico
From the forum stage, the activist expressed concern about the role that Mexico plays in her relationship with the Havana government. “We believe that this great country runs the risk of becoming the next sponsor of the Cuban dictatorship, a position that Venezuela still occupies,” he warned.
Payá questioned the agreements that have allowed the arrival of Cuban medical brigadesindicated by international organizations as a form of forced labor. He recalled that since 2022 the Mexican State has allocated more than 100 million dollars to these missions, while the regime retains up to 94 % of the salary of health professionals.
A call to continental action
The opposition leader called those present to denounce the illegitimacy of the Cuban regime and without reservations a system change. “The victory of democracy in Cuba will be a victory for the entire continent, an essential step for peace, prosperity and justice in our nations, and it is possible. Many of us leave our lives in it,” he said.
Payá closed his speech remembering his father’s legacy, murdered thirteen years ago: “The night will not be eternal.” His words were received with applause in a meeting that sought to reaffirm international solidarity against authoritarian regimes in the region.
