Cuban human rights activists are continuing their campaign to have the street where the Cuban embassy is located in Washington D.C. renamed Oswaldo Paya Way, in memory of the Cuban opposition leader assassinated by the Castro dictatorship. The activists have been lobbying the U.S. Congress for the name change, gaining the support of several members of congress.
Via Diario de Cuba (my translation):
Cuban activist Rosa María Payá, along with a group of Cuban exiles in the US, requested during a visit to the nation’s Congress in Washington this Tuesday, the support of U.S. members of congress to advance the project to rename the street in front of the Cuban embassy in that city as “Oswaldo Payá Way,” in homage to the legacy of the deceased opposition leader, as reported by the activist on her social media.
“My father dedicated his life to promoting freedom and justice for the Cuban people,” said Payá in a live broadcast from Congress. “Renaming the street in front of the Cuban embassy would be a powerful symbol of the US commitment to those who fight for human rights and democracy,” she added.
In this regard, John Suárez, executive director of the Center for a Free Cuba, one of the promoters of the bill, stated that its approval would be “a crucial step to honor the memory of Oswaldo Payá and recognize his contributions to the cause of freedom” in Cuba.
In June 2023, the US Senate gave the green light to this project, but for it to take effect, approval from Congress is still pending, and in this regard, “we are fully convinced that the House will approve the bill,” said Payá.
Naturally, leftist members of the House will defend their communist allies in Havana and oppose this bill. However, there are certainly enough representatives in congress who do not sympathize with the Castro dictatorship to get this bill passed.
Some may think this is a petty and inconsequential. But believe us when we say there is no one more petty than a communist, and the Cuban regime will seethe if the street is renamed. It is well worth the effort.