Sen. Cruz, Colleagues Marks Senate Passage of Bill to Rename Cuban Embassy Street After Murdered Dissident Oswaldo Payá

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised the Senate’s unanimous passage of bipartisan legislation he authored to rename the street outside of the Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C. as “Oswaldo Payá Way” after the Cuban dissident leader who was assassinated by Cuba’s communist regime. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) cosponsored the bill.

After passage, Sen. Cruz said, “Oswaldo Payá is a hero for oppressed Cubans, Cuban Americans, and defenders of freedom everywhere. The Cuban government murdered him to try to silence him and his advocacy, and it is critical to ensure that they fail. Renaming the street in front of the Cuban embassy after him not only pays tribute to his heroism but will prevent the communist Cuban regime from being able to erase and ignore his legacy. I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort, and proud of my colleagues for unanimously passing this bill.”

Oswaldo Payá’s daughter, Rosa María Payá, said, “This momentous decision by the U.S. Senate is a remarkable tribute to my father’s fearless fight for democracy and human rights in Cuba. It is powerful stand against oppression and impunity, right after the release of the ICHR's decision holding the Cuban regime accountable for his murder. This victory brings his legacy to the forefront, serving as a reminder of our ongoing struggle for a free and democratic Cuba.”

Sen. Durbin said, “With the recent findings from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, we finally have a clear verdict on what was suspected all along. After years of petty and cowardly harassment of Cuban patriot and democracy activist Oswaldo Payá, responsibility for his tragic death and that of his colleague, Harold Cepero, rests with the Cuban dictatorship,” said Durbin.  “Through passage of our bipartisan legislation to rename the street outside the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. ‘Oswaldo Payá Way,’ we are honoring Payá’s legacy and all the other Cubans who continue to aspire for a more open and democratic Cuba.”

Sen. Rubio said, “Just yesterday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights acknowledged the criminal involvement of the Cuban regime in the unjust assassination of pro-democracy leader Oswaldo Payá and youth activist Harold Cepero. Today, the U.S. Senate honors Payá’s and Cepero’s legacy by passing this important and bipartisan bill to rename the street outside of the Cuban dictatorship’s Embassy in our nation’s capital as ‘Oswaldo Payá Way.’ This will serve as a daily reminder to the murderous thugs of the many deaths they are responsible for.”

Sen. Menendez said, “The Cuban regime is responsible for the death of Oswaldo Payá, plain and simple. They know it, we know it, and now—thanks to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and their thorough investigation—the world knows it. We strongly share Oswaldo Payá’s vision for a free and democratic Cuba, one where its people can speak out against oppression without fear of retribution. We will never forget the profound impact he made in the fight for freedom, nor will any Cuban official as they enter and leave the Cuban embassy on the newly renamed ‘Oswaldo Payá Way.’”

Sen. Scott said, “A decade ago, Castro's thugs murdered the courageous freedom and democracy activist Oswaldo Payá and his partner Harold Cepero. Why? Because they didn’t stop fighting and raising the voice for freedom in Cuba. Renaming the street in front of the Cuban Embassy in DC for Oswaldo Payá is not only a tribute to him and the fight for Patria y Vida in Cuba, it serves as a reminder to the Castro and Diaz-Canel regime that the United States will NEVER forget the atrocities and human rights violations that the Cuban dictatorship has committed against its people. We will never stop demanding that the Biden administration condemn the atrocities of the illegitimate communist Cuban regime by ending the appeasement and finally treating Raúl Castro and Miguel Diaz-Canel like the murderous thugs they are.”

Sen. Cardin said, “The name of Oswaldo Payá, who was killed while peacefully working to promote constitutional democracy in Cuba, will never be forgotten in his home country.  Our bill that was just approved unanimously by the full Senate will ensure that Americans also will be reminded of Payá’s courage and the sacrifice he made for the people of Cuba.”

BACKGROUND:

Oswaldo Paya was a Cuban dissident who fought against the Cuban regime and for the basic freedoms of the Cuban people. He was murdered by the Cuban regime on July 22, 2012. This week the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights formally determined and confirmed that the regime was directly responsible for the murder.

Sen. Cruz has long fought to honor the legacy of Oswaldo Payá and hold the Cuban regime accountable for his murder. Sen. Cruz has led thisbipartisan effort to rename the street in front of the Cuban Embassy since 2015.

Read the bill here.

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