Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP)

CEP Honors Cuban Opposition Movement Ladies in White

(Miami, FL) — Counter Extremism Project (CEP) CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace proudly joined international leaders, dignitaries, and activists to celebrate the awarding of the Lech Walesa Solidarity Prize to Cuban campaigner Berta Soler Fernandez, leader of the opposition movement Ladies in White.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Irma Santos de Mas, who accepted an award on behalf of Berta Soler, attend the Lech Walesa Solidarity Award Ceremony

Berta Soler addresses the ceremony via video link

The ceremony, held at Miami’s historic Biltmore Hotel, brought together an extraordinary group of speakers and supporters, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, Jaroslaw Walesa (son of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former President of Poland, Lech Walesa). Each paid tribute to the bravery of the Ladies in White, a peaceful movement of wives, mothers, and sisters of Cuban political prisoners who march weekly in white clothing to demand freedom and justice.

Following the award ceremony, a private reception was hosted by Ambassador Wallace and Dr. Hiva Wallace to honor the Ladies in White. The gathering underscored the deep ties of solidarity linking Cuba’s democratic opposition with Poland’s own history of resistance against dictatorship and extremism.

Ambassador Mark D. Wallace being interviewed by Cuban TV

The involvement of representatives from CEP also highlighted parallels between the Ladies in White and the brave women and men everywhere who continue to risk their lives to demand freedom from authoritarian regimes and extremist ideologies. Their voices of conscience must endure and not be forgotten.

Radoslaw Sikorski, Eulalia San Pedro (from the Cuban American Foundation), Jaroslaw Walesa, and Irma Santos de Mas

The Lech Walesa Solidarity Prize, established by the Government of Poland, honors individuals and movements who embody the spirit of freedom, democracy, and human rights. By presenting this award to Berta Soler and the Ladies in White, the international community reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Cuba’s democratic aspirations—while reminding the world that the fight against tyranny is global.

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a nonprofit and non-partisan international policy organization working to combat the growing threat posed by extremist ideologies.

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