Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) has announced that Cuban human rights leader Rosa María Payá will be her guest at the 2026 State of the Union address.
Payá is known for her advocacy for freedom in Cuba and is the daughter of Oswaldo Payá, a democratic leader who was killed after years of nonviolent opposition to the Cuban government. She continues his legacy by seeking justice, accountability, and a democratic transition in Cuba. Payá currently serves on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, working to defend fundamental freedoms across the hemisphere.
“While the Cuban regime enters its final hour, the cry for freedom is no longer a whisper: it is a roar impossible to ignore,” said Congresswoman Salazar. “Rosa María Payá represents the moral courage that this dictatorship has tried to crush for more than six decades without success. She is the voice of truth in the face of repression, of justice in the face of impunity, and of millions of Cubans who do not kneel before fear. The regime has tried to rule with terror, but the Cuban people have shown that tyranny is not eternal. Fear no longer controls them. The time of dictatorship is ending.”
“I am honored to accompany Congresswoman Salazar at the State of the Union and carry with me the memory of my father and the voice of millions of Cubans who still cannot speak freely but are determined to live in freedom,” said Rosa María Payá. “Ending the regime is both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity for our hemisphere. The dictatorship has neither legitimacy nor future. To my brothers and sisters on the island: you are not alone. The night will not be eternal.”
Payá’s attendance at this year’s address comes as President Trump’s administration increases pressure on Cuba’s government and reaffirms U.S. support for democracy and liberty in Latin America.
Salazar represents Florida’s 27th District, which includes one of America’s largest Cuban communities—a connection that makes advocacy for freedom in Cuba especially significant for her. Before joining Congress, she spent decades as a journalist reporting on authoritarian regimes and giving voice to those silenced by repression.
In Congress, Salazar continues efforts focused on human rights initiatives, accountability measures, and promoting democratic restoration in Cuba.