Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to speak about Oswaldo Paya, a Cuban dissident, and his untimely death in Cuba in a supposed automobile accident. The Cuban people, indeed all freedom-loving people of the world, have recently lost a great advocate for freedom. He was someone who was in peaceful opposition to the tyranny that is on the island of Cuba. Oswaldo Paya died in a car crash on Sunday, July 22. He was just 60 years old. Another Cuban dissident, Harold Cepero, was also killed in the accident, and two European politicians, one from Spain and one from Sweden, were injured. Paya was one of Cuba's best known dissidents. He pushed for civil and human rights. He pushed for an end to one-party rule. He pushed for freedom for political prisoners. And he pushed for support for private businesses. In 2002, his Varela Project delivered more than 24,000 verifiable signatures in support of these ideals to the Cuban Government. It was the largest petition drive in Cuban history. Paya bravely led this initiative at great risk to himself, to his loved ones, and to his colleagues. For his work, he received the European Parliaments' Sakarov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2002, and he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The reason I am bringing this up, other than pointing out that planet Earth has lost a friend for freedom, is to note that the circumstances of the car accident are the topic of some debate.…”