Remembering Oswaldo Payá
![Oswaldo Paya](//www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/images/Oswaldo-Paya-382px.jpg)
Oswaldo Payá
The tragic death of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñias, the lifelong Cuban champion of democracy, was a blow to his countrymen and to democrats around the world. Payá died in a car crash in eastern Cuba on July 22.
Payá was best known as the founder of the Varela Project, which called for a referendum on open elections, freedom of speech, freedom for political prisoners and free enterprise. The project was the first initiative that mobilized tens of thousands of Cubans across the island. Watch a short documentary on Payá and the Varela Project»
"Oswaldo was an inspiration to his fellow Cubans and to champions of democracy worldwide," said NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright. "Despite the many pressures he and his family were subjected to, he never wavered in his conviction that Cubans had the same democratic rights as other people in Latin America and around the world."
Payá was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on multiple occasions, including by Czech President Václav Havel. He received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament in 2002 and NDI's W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award the same year for his fearless and steadfast pursuit of peaceful democratic change in Cuba. Payá was not allowed to leave Cuba to receive the Harriman award, but he sent an acceptance message saying, "There is a growing global solidarity among those of us working peacefully for democracy, for rights. This is a universal language."
Payá is survived by his wife, Ofelia, and their three children. You can leave messages of condolence and support for the family here.
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