Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Rosa María Payá holds mass in Havana, announces CubaDecide campaign in Matanzas, asks for your support

"The legacy of my father is the living word, a generous gift to the Cuban people for the democratic transition." - Rosa María Payá Acevedo,  Havana, Cuba, February 29, 2016

Rosa María Payá Acevedo back home in Havana campaigning for CubaDecide

Arrival in Cuba
Rosa María Payá Acevedo arrived in Cuba along with Mexican Federal Deputy  Cecilia Romero on Sunday night and the next day, February 29, 2016 at 5:30pm attended a mass for her dad, Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, on what would've been his 64th birthday. However on July 22, 2012 he was killed along with Rosa's friend Harold Cepero in what appears to have been an extrajudicial killing carried out by Cuban State Security.

Oswaldo Payá traveled out of Cuba in 2002 and returned in 2003
Mass in Havana and Miami for her dad and friend
Rosa María invited friends in Cuba to join her on February 29th in a Mass in celebration of her dad's and Harold Cepero's lives at 5:30pm first at the Church of  Los Pasionistas in Havana, but the location was later changed to Cerro parish "El Salvador del Mundo",  located on Santo Tomás y Peñón in Havana, Cuba. She also reported that her SMS texting service has been arbitrarily blocked. She visited her father's tomb and stayed at her family home.  Fifty Cubans attended the service in Havana according to news accounts Rosa María read aloud quotes she had gathered made by her dad. She also made her own powerful observation: "Each time the regime murders a Cuban it commits a crime against all Cubans."


Rosa with Sayli Navarro and Cecilia Romero at her dad's tomb
In Miami a Mass was held at 8:00pm at the Church of Our Lady of Charity (La Ermita) at 8:00pm in celebration of the lives of  Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante. Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas's widow Ofelia Acevedo Maura led the Payá family and family friends in prayer.

Rosa María Payá traveled to Matanzas, Cuba on March 1, 2016 she announced the campaign for CubaDecide and over social media asked Cubans and non-Cubans to support the effort. The Castro regime's agents on social media responded with slanderous attacks which Rosa responded to head on. Below are her tweets translated to English and linked to the original tweets.
"Its unfortunate that the Cuban regime defames me on captive official internet, but dare not debate civil society for five minutes."







"It is vile to use your voice to silence the Cuban citizens who struggle to make the voice of Cuban citizens count."








They killed her dad and her friend Harold then made late night death threats over the phone while following the family during the day forcing them to leave. She is back in Cuba and speaking truth to power. Please show your solidarity and #PrayForRosaMaríaPayá

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