Madrid, Spain.- The renowned activist and promoter of the Cuba platform decides, Rosa María Payá, It has been nominated by the United States government as a candidate to integrate the Inter -American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The application was formalized within the framework of the process of selecting new commissioners that will be carried out by the Organization of American States (OAS), and for which the favorable vote of at least 18 of its member states is required.
Payá’s application has been received with attention from human rights organizations, international media and various political actors, partly because of its extensive career in the denunciation of human rights violations in Cuba and in the region.
In statements to Efe, The activist has stressed that her adult life has been dedicated to the defense and protection of fundamental rights, and that her nomination represents an opportunity to continue this work from an institutional position.
Payá also recalled his direct experience with the inter -American system, particularly with the IACHR, which he went after the murder of his father, the Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, occurred in 2012. In his opinion, this body was the only one that provided accountability in that case, so he considers that his experience as a petitioner provides valuable knowledge about the challenges of the system and how this can improve its effectiveness.
Necessary reforms and priorities
Among the proposals of Rosa María Payá as an aspiring commissioner, the urgency of shortening the response times of the IACHR and establishing prioritization mechanisms that favor cases in which there is a vital risk for petitioners or evidenced repressive patterns in the denounced countries is evident. It also raises the need to improve communication between the IACHR and the Permanent Council of the OAS, especially in critical contexts such as those of Venezuela and Haiti.
Payá emphasizes that the commission must act more agile and with greater impact on the protection of human rights, not only through precautionary measures, but also through more constant monitoring and a more direct interaction with victims and civil society organizations.
A candidacy that generates expectation
The election of the new members of the IACHR will be held during the next General Assembly of the OAS, in June. In addition to Payá, candidates from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Honduras and Bahamas compete for three vacancies. The nomination of the Cuban activist not only reflects the confidence of the US government in their profile, but also represents a relevant step in her career as a human rights defender in the region.
If elected, Rosa María Payá would become one of the most visible Latin American voices within the inter -American system, with the possibility of influencing the protection of fundamental freedoms in contexts where they are still violated.
