The 2025 Democracy Service Medal was bestowed posthumously to Oswaldo Payá in recognition of his life’s work and sacrifice for freedom in Cuba. Accepting on his behalf were his wife, Ofelia Acevedo, and daughter, Rosa María Payá—who reflect the resilience of a family and a movement that continues to confront authoritarianism in pursuit of justice.
Oswaldo Payá embodied the extraordinary power of one individual’s moral courage to awaken an entire nation. Under the most repressive conditions, he showed that the human spirit will always yearn for freedom. His life is a powerful testament to the inseparable bond between religious and democratic freedoms. Individuals who are free to follow their conscience become unstoppable forces for justice and human rights.
Anchored in his faith, Payá believed every person is endowed with dignity and the right to shape their own destiny. Guided by this conviction, he founded the Christian Liberation Movement and led the Varela Project, mobilizing over 25,000 Cubans to peacefully demand free elections, freedom of association, and the release of political prisoners—the most significant nonviolent challenge to the Cuban regime in decades.
By posthumously awarding Oswaldo Payá the Democracy Service Medal, the National Endowment for Democracy honors his extraordinary moral courage and reaffirms our commitment to frontline advocates everywhere.
Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas (1952–2012) was one of Cuba’s most courageous and visionary advocates of peaceful democratic change. An electrical engineer and devoted Catholic from Havana, his deep faith shaped his unwavering belief in human dignity and freedom.
In 1988, he founded the Christian Liberation Movement to promote democratic values through nonviolent means, inspiring Cubans to reclaim their voices and envision a freer future. His most iconic achievement, the Varela Project, gathered over 25,000 signatures demanding free elections and freedom of association—the most significant peaceful challenge to the regime in decades.
Payá earned global acclaim, including the 2002 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, but faced fierce repression at home. During the 2003 Black Spring, dozens of project leaders were jailed, and Payá endured constant threats and surveillance.
He remained steadfast in his calls for reconciliation and peaceful change, believing true transformation must come from the Cuban people. In 2012, he died under suspicious circumstances later determined by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to be state-orchestrated violence.
Today, his legacy lives on through Cuba Decide, founded by his daughter Rosa María Payá, and through all Cubans who continue the fight for freedom. Payá remains a global symbol of moral courage and the power of conscience.
Rosa María Payá Acevedo, daughter of Oswaldo Payá and Ofelia Acevedo, is a leading Cuban democracy activist and human rights defender. As founder of Cuba Decide in 2015, she has united Cubans on the island and abroad to demand democratic reform and self-determination.
Her leadership has turned Cuba’s struggle for freedom into a global cause, challenging the regime’s narrative and exposing human rights abuses at the highest international levels. Her voice has become one of the most respected and influential calls for Cuban democracy worldwide.
Rosa María’s impact has been recognized with honors including the Ileana Ros-Lehtinen International Leadership Award, the Morris Abram Human Rights Award, the Casa Cuba Award, and the Keys to the City of Miami. The City of Miami has also established an annual day in her honor and, through her advocacy, declared July 22 as the Day of the Victims of Communism in America.
She holds a degree in Physics from the University of Havana, completed the Global Competitive Leadership program at Georgetown University, and earned a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University. She also serves as Honorary President of the Latin American Youth Network for Democracy. In June 2025, she was elected as a commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, becoming the first Cuban national to ever hold this position.
Ofelia Acevedo Maura is a Cuban human rights advocate and the widow of Oswaldo Payá. A steadfast partner in his work, she has long championed the cause of freedom and human dignity in Cuba.
Alongside her husband, Ofelia played a crucial role in supporting the Christian Liberation Movement and the Varela Project, helping to organize and sustain networks of activists despite constant surveillance and threats. After Oswaldo’s death in 2012 under state-orchestrated violence, she became a tireless voice for justice, working to expose the truth behind his assassination and to keep his legacy alive.
Ofelia’s unwavering commitment extends beyond seeking accountability; she has dedicated herself to advocating for the rights of all Cubans to live in freedom, speak without fear, and determine their own future.
Through her courage and moral clarity, Ofelia embodies the quiet strength of so many family members who stand alongside frontline democracy advocates, ensuring that their sacrifices continue to inspire new generations.
About the Democracy Service Medal
Awarded by the National Endowment for Democracy’s Board of Directors, the Democracy Service Medal honors individuals whose personal courage has advanced freedom, human rights, and democratic governance around the world. First presented in April 1999—on the tenth anniversary of Poland’s Roundtable Agreement—to former Polish President Lech Wałęsa and former AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland, the medal has since recognized a diverse array of leaders who exemplify a principled commitment to democracy. Notable laureates include His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, and, in 2024, U.S. congressional leaders, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for their distinguished leadership and support of democracy advocates around the world. Learn more about the Democracy Service Medal.
