MEDIA ADVISORY URGENT: Secretary General Luis Almagro to receive Oswaldo Payá award in Havana / Rosa Payá at Havana’s airport

Earlier this week it was reported that Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States would receive the Oswaldo Payá human rights award in Cuba. Four hours ago Rosa Maria Payá, daughter of the slain human rights leader Oswaldo Payá tweeted that she was about to enter customs at Havana’s airport. 

Oswaldo Payá was murdered by the Cuban regime when state security police forced his car off the road. At the time July 22, 2012 another Cuban Christian Democrat activist Harold Cepero was also killed. No autopsies of them have been made available despite repeated requests. A foreign passenger in the car sent text messages from his phone that a government vehicle was following them. Neither the details of their medical treatment at the hospital nor any physicians present have been made available.

Rosa Maria Payá (age 28) is by training a physicist and Cuba Decide, the organization she leads works to promote civil liberties in Cuba and citizens support for a plebiscite.  Rosa Payá is also president of the Latin American Network of Youth for Democracy, active in several countries throughout the Americas.  

We are including here her photograph with Secretary Almagro at the signing of the agreement between the Latin American youth organization and the Organization of American States in December 2016 in Washington. Luis Almagro was elected Secretary General of the OAS on March 18, 2015.

Please alert any foreign media in Havana about Rosa Payá’s arrival and the Oswaldo Payá award. We have been unable to ascertain Rosa Maria’s whereabouts at this time.

Pope Francis with the Payá family following Oswaldo’s death.

At Oswaldo’s funeral

Entierro de Oswaldo la “L” significa libertad