Rosa MarĂa Payá, commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Photo: Facebook/@rosamariapaya.
The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally protested to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) over Commissioner Rosa MarĂa Payá Acevedo’s recent visit to the country, which was conducted without prior notification to Mexican authorities.
In a statement released on Thursday, February 12, the Ministry stressed that IACHR members are required, under established diplomatic practice, to inform the host government of any official or private visits and the activities they intend to carry out.
The Ministry’s protest follows a report from the newspaper La Jornada on February 11, which revealed that Payá, a U.S. citizen of Cuban origin and an outspoken anti-revolutionary activist, had visited Mexico and participated in a January 22 forum at the University of Liberty. The event was sponsored by the right-wing Ricardo Salinas Pliego Center and featured other Mexican right-wing politicians, where Payá reportedly criticized the Cuban government.
The Foreign Affairs Secretariat emphasized in a statement that “in accordance with Article 12 of the IACHR Statute, the members of that body enjoy the immunities recognized by international law for diplomatic agents, therefore, there is an established practice whereby they must inform the Secretariat about the official or private visits that they undertake to our country, as well as about the activities they intend to carry out.”
Furthermore, the Ministry pointed to Article 4 of the IACHR Statute, which states that a commissioner’s post is “incompatible with activities that could affect their independence or impartiality,” implicitly questioning the nature of Payá’s public appearances in Mexico.
The Ministry confirmed that Juan Ramón de la Fuente’s office received no such notification from Payá Acevedo for her trip.
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The undersecretary for North America at the Foreign Affairs Secretariat, Roberto Velasco, responded to the criticisms from US Republican Congressman Carlos A. Giménez against Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum regarding the Payá case.
“Claudia Sheinbaum was democratically elected by Mexico,” Velasco stated. “Our foreign policy is sovereign and based on historical principles. As I personally expressed, we do not seek confrontation, but we do want respect for our decisions and non-intervention. We remain open to constructive dialogue.”
On february 12, GimĂ©nez posted a message on X criticizing Sheinbaum, who the day before had questioned Payá’s presence at a forum against Cuban government. Without tagging the Mexican head of state, the Republican parliamentarian accused: “It is clear that Claudia Sheinbaum is nothing more than a puppet of the dictatorship in Cuba, controlled by Castro agents who are plundering Mexico. Sheinbaum’s slanders against opposition leader Rosa MarĂa Payá expose her worrisome collaboration with the regime.”
After Jornada published the news regarding Payá’s secret visit, President Sheinbaum was questioned about it on Wednesday, during her morning press conference, to which she replied: “If they come on behalf of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, they should not advocate for one cause or another, but only review the cases according to complaints.” She added that after learning about the situation, she requested a report from the Foreign Affairs Secretariat on the matter.
Payá Acevedo was promoted to the IACHR by US President Donald Trump, with the support of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also of Cuban origin. She was elected as a commissioner of the organization on June 27, 2025, and began her duties on January 1 of this year.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
