The distinction was delivered to the US Congress, on the anniversary of the death of Payá and Cepero, killed in 2012 by the Cuban regime.
Madrid, Spain.- The National Endowment For Democracy (NED) delivered on Tuesday, July 22, in a posthumous way, its highest distinction- the medal at the service of democracy- to the Cuban opposition leader Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, killed 13 years ago by the Havana regime with also the activist also activist Harold Cepero.
The ceremony took place in the United States Congress, with the presence of congressmen, human rights defenders, diplomats and activists, including the family of the founder of the Christian Liberation Movement, who received recognition in his name.
Damon M. Wilson, president and CEO of the NED, highlighted the legacy of the Cuban dissident: “Oswaldo Payá aroused the awareness of a nation with the truth and strength of their convictions. Honor him reaffirms our commitment to support the Cuban people until his freedom.”
During the act, his widow, Ofelia Acevedo, and his daughter, Rosa María Payá, offered messages that recalled the validity of their struggle for human rights and democracy in Cuba. “Oswaldo’s legacy is clear, unwavering and urgent. Rights are first. The people are the protagonist. Freedom is the first,” said Acevedo.
For his part, Rosa María Payá, current member of the Inter -American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), said that “despite misery, repression, forced exile imposed on millions of Cubans, the Cuban people continue to demand their rights.” In social networks, he thanked the tribute and assured that the sacrifice of his father and Harold Cepero “drives our commitment to fight for democracy and freedom in Cuba and the Americas.”
Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero died on July 22, 2012 in an alleged car accident in the province of Granma. However, in 2023 the IACHR concluded, after an investigation of more than a decade, that the Cuban regime was responsible for its deaths, confirming that it was a state crime.
Every July 22, human rights activists and organizations commemorate the date as a symbol of resistance to repression and as a tribute to those who, like Oswaldo Payá, gave their lives for a free Cuba.
