The U.S. Senate unanimously passes bill renaming the street in front of the Cuban embassy in DC in honor of Oswaldo Payá

June 14, 2023 — In a remarkable display of bipartisan support, the United States Senate has unanimously passed the Oswaldo Payá Way bill, a historic legislation aimed at renaming the street outside of the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. as “Oswaldo Payá Way.” Two days after the release of the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights’ verdict blaming the dictatorship for the attack against Oswaldo Payá, and at a time of great repression on the island, this bill pays just tribute to the brave Cuban and civic leader who was killed the Castro regime in 2012.

Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) joined forces with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) in cosponsoring this bipartisan initiative. Sen. Cruz, who has been working closely with Rosa María Payá, the daughter of Oswaldo Payá, expressed his unwavering commitment to upholding her father’s legacy and supporting democracy for all freedom-loving Cubans oppressed by the Castro regime.

Rosa María Payá, a renowned human rights activist and the founder of Cuba Decide, a citizen initiative striving for democratic change in Cuba, expressed deep gratitude on behalf of her family. She said, “We are very grateful to the U.S. Senate for passing this bill. This is a just tribute to our father, but also to a great Cuban, a democratic civic leader. This is a recognition of the rightness and urgency of his fight which is the current fight for freedom of the Cuban People, because it’s time for the international community to support with concrete actions what the Cuban people have done in the streets.”

While the Senate’s approval of the Oswaldo Payá Way bill is a significant milestone, the next crucial step is for the bill to pass in the House of Representatives and subsequently be signed into law by President Biden. “It is our hope that this process will be completed before July 22 of this year, which will mark the 11th anniversary of Oswaldo Payá’s murder” said Rosa Maria.

By renaming the street outside the Cuban embassy as “Oswaldo Payá Way,” the United States will honor a remarkable individual who dedicated his life to advocating for the rights and freedoms of his fellow Cubans, and all the lives that have been crushed by the Cuban dictatorship.