Rubio Backs Rosa María Payá’s Nomination as IACHR Commissioner

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 29 expressed his support for Rosa María Payá Acevedo’s candidacy for commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the main body of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Payá, a Cuban activist and daughter of Oswaldo Payá, a Cuban leader of the Christian Liberation Movement who died in 2012, was nominated by Rubio in March to be the new head of the IACHR.

“Payá’s unwavering commitment in defense of human rights, freedom, and democracy is a testament to her decades-long pursuit of a more prosperous region,” the secretary of state wrote on May 29, reiterating Payá’s nomination in a post on social media platform X.

“I’ve known Rosa María for over ten years and have no doubt she would serve with integrity as [IACHR] Commissioner. She will strengthen the Commission’s impact across our hemisphere,” he added.

Rubio’s endorsement was followed by that of Cuban-American congressmen who have followed the career of Payá and her father.

One of them is Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), who echoed the state secretary’s words about the 36-year-old Cuban activist.

“Totally agree … Payá is widely recognized for promoting fundamental freedoms, human rights, and democratic governance in the Western Hemisphere,” Díaz-Balart wrote in a Spanish-language post on X on Thursday.

“If elected to serve, she will advance the independent work of the IACHR, with a focus on human rights principles and ensuring that the IACHR remains an independent and effective institution,” he added.

The founder of the organization Cuba Decide, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), echoed Rubio’s support as well.

Payá “has been a tireless defender of freedom, human rights, and democracy throughout the hemisphere,” she wrote in response to Rubio’s endorsement. “Her election to the IACHR would be a key step in strengthening the independence and restoring the credibility of this institution.”

In June 2023, the IACHR published a report on the deaths of Rosa María Payá’s father and Harold Cepero in Cuba, concluding that the Cuban regime was involved in the deaths of both Cuban activists. The report came after 10 years of investigation by the organization.

According to the report, Oswaldo Payá and Cepero, who were subjected to “various acts of violence, harassment, threats, and attempts on their lives,” died in a car crash in Granma, Cuba, on July 22, 2012.

Upon learning of the IACHR’s verdict, Rosa María Payá said in a post on X: “Nothing can compensate us, but now we are closer to the justice that will come for all Cubans when your dream of freedom is fulfilled, Dad.”

In the same year, the U.S. Senate agreed to rename the street in front of the Cuban Embassy in Washington “Oswaldo Payá Way.”