Rosa María Payá Acevedo is a leading Cuban democracy activist and human rights advocate, and the Executive Director of the Foundation for Pan-American Democracy. She founded the Cuba Decide platform in 2015, which unites Cuban opposition and civil society organizations and citizens in the fight for democratic change. Daughter of the late dissident Oswaldo Payá, recipient of the Sakharov Prize and twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Rosa has continued his legacy after his assassination by the Cuban regime in 2012.

She holds a degree in Physics from the University of Havana, a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University, and has completed the Global Competitive Leadership Program at Georgetown. Her work has earned her prestigious awards, including the Common-Sense Courage Award (2022) and the Morris Abram Human Rights Award (2019). She serves as the Honorary President of the Latin American Network of Young People for Democracy, an organization that brings together youth organizations from 20 countries in the region.

Payá has spoken at influential global forums, including the UN, U.S. Congress, and multiple parliaments worldwide, and her writings have appeared in publications like The Washington Post and CNN.