PRESS RELEASE
The Center for a Free Cuba welcomes election of Rosa María Payá to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States
Contact: John Suarez and Janisset Rivero 786-208-6056
Center for a Free Cuba. Washington DC. June 28, 2025. The vote yesterday, June 27th at the 55th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) to elect Cuban human rights defender Rosa María Payá to a four year term as one of the seven Commissioners to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) , is a victory for human rights in the Americas.
Paya was nominated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio who made the case that If elected, she would “serve our hemisphere with independence, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to justice and accountability. Her voice would strengthen the Commission’s ability to speak out clearly in defense of those facing repression, censorship, and abuse.”
The Center for a Free Cuba welcomed the news of Rosa’s election to the regional human rights body.
“The Board of Trustees of the Center for a Free Cuba (CFC) welcomes the election of Rosa María Payá as IACHR Commissioner for 2026–2029. Her courage, determination, and commitment to freedom and human rights are an inspiration. Bravo, Rosa!”, said Guillermo Marmol, chairman of the Board of Trustees.
“No one is better qualified to defend human rights on the IACHR than Rosa María Payá. She is a human rights defender, who has directly suffered repression, she has a profound knowledge of the Americas and has engaged on human rights issues on the international stage. A great choice.”, declared Manuel Iglesias, CFC’s President.
The IACHR was formed in 1959, and issued its first Country report on Cuba in 1962. This regional human rights body has been active in denouncing and documenting human rights violations in the Americas over six and a half decades.
Two years ago, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published a report on the murder of Oswaldo Payá (Rosa’s father and an opposition leader in Cuba) and Harold Cepero (a youth leader) , both members of the Christian Liberation Movement, and “identified sufficient serious evidence to conclude that [Cuban] State agents had been involved in the deaths of Payá and Cepero.”
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