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The Cuban activist Rosa María Payá officially took on her role as commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for the 2026-2029 term, delivering a powerful message about her commitment to democracy and human rights on the continent, along with a clear warning about the impact of the Cuban regime on the region.
In a public letter circulated this weekend, Payá expressed that she feels "deeply honored by the trust that the states of the Americas have placed in me to defend the human rights of all people in our region."
The Cuban opposition member was elected by the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) at its most recent general assembly, hosted in Antigua and Barbuda, becoming the first Cuban to join this autonomous body.
But it was his direct reference to the Cuban regime that set the political tone of his message. “I was born under the longest and bloodiest dictatorship this continent has ever known. That tyranny has caused the collapse of democracy in Nicaragua and Venezuela, and has triggered the greatest migration crisis in our history. The Americas have paid a very high price for tolerating the Cuban regime for so long,” he wrote.
In one of the most poignant passages of his letter, Payá compared the Cuban authoritarian system to an "octopus" whose tentacles have spread throughout Latin America. “It is up to us —the women and men of the Americas— to put an end once and for all to the authoritarian octopus, to its head and all its tentacles, which have caused so much pain to our nations,” he emphasized, reaffirming his commitment to work for a region free from dictatorships.
The founder of the platform Cuba Decide and director of the Foundation for Pan-American Democracy has been advocating for a democratic transition process on the island for years. Their work has focused on highlighting political repression, denouncing human rights violations, and promoting free elections in Cuba.
Rosa María is the daughter of the opposition leader Oswaldo Payá, founder of the Varela Project, who passed away in 2012 in a vehicle accident under circumstances questioned by international organizations. In her letter, she recalled her father's legacy as an inspiration for her work: "My father, who gave his life for freedom, believed that human rights exist beyond the borders of race, culture, or politics. They are not granted; they are protected."
In her new role as a commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), Payá aims to defend the victims of political persecution, protect the most vulnerable, and strengthen a “effective and transparent” commission that brings the inter-American system closer to those who need it most.
"Our region is experiencing a critical moment," he warned in his message. "Democracy is weakening, repression is growing, and millions are suffering the consequences of the collapse of the rule of law. Violence, organized crime, forced displacement, and persecution particularly affect children, women, and political dissidents," he stated, highlighting the urgent need for a coordinated regional response.
Payá's election was supported by the United States, which promoted her candidacy and highlighted her track record in defense of human rights. Her appointment has been interpreted as a significant step towards greater representation of Cuban dissidents in international organizations and an opportunity to bring visibility to the reports of abuses occurring within the island.
With her arrival at the IACHR, Rosa María Payá reinforces her commitment to democracy in Latin America and, particularly, to the cause of freedom in Cuba, bringing her fight to a new institutional setting.
A regional scenario marked by repression and authoritarianism
The appointment of Rosa María Payá as a commissioner of the IACHR comes at a particularly critical time for the region.
For years, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) has documented and denounced a systematic decline in fundamental freedoms in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, three countries where authoritarianism has consolidated through internal repression, the criminalization of dissent, and absolute control over the powers of the state.
In the case of Cuba, the Commission has repeatedly pointed out serious violations of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, as well as the arbitrary imprisonment of activists and journalists. The country has been continuously included in Chapter IV.B of the organization's annual reports, designated for States with the most severe human rights situations.
The IACHR has also expressed its deep concern about the influence of the Cuban regime in repressive processes in Venezuela and Nicaragua. Although it has not issued specific statements regarding the presence of Cuban repressors in those countries, it has gathered evidence of the regional impact of the Cuban authoritarian model.
In 2023, the Commission directly held the Cuban state responsible for the death of opposition leader Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, father of the current commissioner, and denounced the impunity surrounding the events.
In Nicaragua, the institutional collapse following the repression of the protests in 2018 led the IACHR to include the country in its "blacklist" of human rights violators, just like Venezuela, where the deterioration of democracy and reports of crimes against humanity have also been ongoing issues.
It is in this context of democratic weakening, transnational repression, and migration crises that Rosa María Payá will carry out her work, with the support of sectors that promote a regional agenda for the defense of civil and political rights, and the strengthening of accountability mechanisms.
What is the role of a commissioner of the IACHR?
Rosa María Payá will serve as commissioner of the CIDH for the period 2026-2029, after being elected by the member states of the OAS.
Their role is part of the highest governing body of the IACHR, composed of seven experts in human rights, who are independent and elected in their personal capacity, not as representatives of their countries.
The commissioners have the primary role of monitoring the human rights situation in the 35 member states of the OAS, issuing thematic or country reports, addressing individual cases of human rights violations, adopting precautionary measures, and promoting the observance of rights recognized in the instruments of the inter-American system, such as the American Convention on Human Rights.
In addition, each commissioner may be responsible for thematic reports (for example, freedom of expression, women's rights, indigenous peoples, migration) or for specific countries. They can also conduct on-site visits and coordinate public hearings during session periods to directly monitor emergency or risk situations.
Its work does not have direct punitive authority, but its statements, precautionary measures, and acceptance of cases before the Inter-American Court carry significant political and legal weight, which can influence internal processes or generate international pressure on non-compliant States.
Payá's election, in addition to its political symbolism as a Cuban dissident, represents a reinforcement of the focus on civil and political rights within the IACHR, at a time when multiple governments in the region are experiencing processes of authoritarian regression.
A New Leadership for Democratic Cuba? The Strategic Vision of Rosa María Payá
The arrival of Rosa María Payá at the CIDH not only represents an institutional milestone —being the first Cuban to occupy one of the seven seats of this regional body— but also a potential platform for political and diplomatic legitimacy from which she could emerge as a central figure of Cuban opposition activism before the international community.
This position opens a direct channel for Payá to engage with democratic governments across the continent, multilateral organizations, United Nations human rights offices, and international civil society networks.
Unlike traditional activism, which is often limited to symbolic or local realms, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) provides its commissioners with sustained visibility in high-level forums, in addition to formal powers to investigate, denounce, and issue precautionary measures in response to serious human rights violations, such as those occurring in Cuba.
This visibility, combined with her political biography—marked by the struggle of her father, who was murdered in 2012—grants her a historical legitimacy that few actors in the Cuban opposition have.
Payá is not an improvised outsider: she has developed over a decade a sustained strategy for international advocacy through her platform Cuba Decide, has built connections with key actors in the hemisphere, and has positioned the narrative of a democratic transition with popular support and legal legitimacy.
This new institutional scope explains, in part, the nervousness generated by her appointment within the propaganda apparatus of the Cuban regime, which has reacted with official statements, disparagements and personal attacks.
The hostility stems not only from her history as an opponent but also from the fact that, from a position recognized by the OAS member states, Rosa María Payá will be able to exert direct pressure on the regime, legally denounce it, and present herself to the international community as a legitimate and viable voice for democratic alternatives.
From this new platform, you will be able to raise your voice with institutional authority to denounce the Cuban regime to the governments of the region, without relying on the mediation of third parties.
It will also be able to respond from within the Inter-American system to the disinformation attempts promoted by Havana and its allies, and to engage in strategic dialogues with foreign foreign ministries and parliaments where the political future of Cuba is being discussed.
Although the role of commissioner is neither political nor elective, its public visibility and the current regional context—characterized by the consolidation of opposition figures who combine activism, institutional discourse, and popular support, such as María Corina Machado in Venezuela—suggest that Payá could be heading towards a more ambitious leadership position.
His firm rhetoric against the regime, his connection with the Cuban diaspora, and his ability to engage in diplomatic agendas make this scenario viable.
In a country like Cuba, where the internal opposition is fragmented and under siege, the figure of Payá can become a reference point that articulates democratizing demands both inside and outside the island.
Her presence at the IACHR will not only allow her to denounce abuses but also to legitimize transition proposals, promote international support, and forge connections with moderate sectors of the exile community, democratic allied governments, and eventually, with internal actors who could join a process of change.
In this sense, their election could be more than an individual achievement: it may mark a turning point in the Cuban opposition's ability to act with a coherent, strategic, and recognized voice in the spaces where the country's possible futures are defined.
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