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Activist Rosa María Payá led an event this weekend at the Ermita de la Caridad in Miami, where a bench dedicated to the memory of her father, Cuban opposition leader Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas (1952-2012), was blessed and unveiled.
The tribute took place on February 28, the date when the founder of the Christian Liberation Movement would have turned 74 years old. Dozens of people gathered by the sea, next to the sanctuary of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre.
The Ermita de la Caridad described the event as “a deeply historic and moving moment on the Malecón of the Ermita” and noted: “The bench dedicated to the memory of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas was blessed, a man who gave his life for the dignity and freedom of the Cuban people. Hundreds of people gathered to support the Payá-Acevedo Family in a ceremony filled with faith, respect, and hope. It was not just a symbolic act; it was a living testament that his legacy continues to resonate in the heart of Cuba.”
The institution also confirmed the presence of the U.S. diplomatic representative: “We also have the presence of the Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Mike Hammer, whose participation reaffirmed the significance of this moment in the eyes of the world.”
The released images show the attendance of activists and members of the Cuban community in exile, including Oscar Casanella, as well as religious and civil authorities.
The complete name of the opponent, their years of life—1952-2012—and the phrase: “The only option for the people is freedom” are inscribed on the bank.
Rosa María Payá wrote on her social media: “This bank will bear his name, Oswaldo Payá, but his legacy lives on in millions of Cubans who no longer accept fear as their destiny and who know, as my father used to say, that THE ONLY OPTION FOR THE PEOPLE IS FREEDOM”.
In another post, shared on her Instagram account, she stated: “We gathered in a PLACE THAT HARBORS THE SOUL of the Cuban exile: the Ermita de la Caridad, a sanctuary of the Virgin that Cubans built in freedom, to honor my father. Gratitude and hope with so many good Cubans united for freedom.”
Payá died on July 22, 2012, alongside activist Harold Cepero when the vehicle they were traveling in was struck by another car in eastern Cuba. Various testimonies and international organizations have reported that it was a deliberate attack.
On July 22, 13 years since his assassination were marked. On that day, the U.S. State Department stated: “The Cuban regime killed pro-democracy leaders Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero. Their bravery continues to inspire all those fighting for democracy and freedom in Cuba.” It also affirmed that “the legacy of Payá lives on through his daughter, Rosa María Payá, who will serve on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.”
On that same date, Rosa María Payá expressed: “The dictators destroyed their bodies, and that was precisely the limit of their power. They tried to silence him, but they could not. Payá lives on in every young person who protests, in every political prisoner who resists. The night will not be eternal. Moreover, dawn is breaking.”
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