members comprised around 40 of the 75 defendants, though Payá himself was not arrested. Later activism During Castro's illness, which culminated in his 2008 resignation, Payá continued to criticize the Cuban government as it transferred power to Castro's brother Raúl. He called on Raul Castro to allow multiparty elections and free all political prisoners, and delivered a petition asking that the Cuban people be granted freedom of travel. In the years before Payá's death, his influence was said to be waning, and attention shifted to younger activists such as blogger Yoani Sanchez. In 2010, WikiLeaks released U.S. State Department cables from Jonathan D. Farrar, head of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, describing Payá and other older dissidents as "hopelessly out of touch", writing, "They have little contact with younger Cubans and, to the extent they have a message that is getting out, it does not appeal to that segment of society." However, many of the younger generation of dissidents cited him as a role model and expressed grief at his death. Political views Opposition to United States groups and policy Payá refused to accept U.S. aid and also opposed the U.S. Cuban embargo. In a 2000 editorial for the Miami Herald, he stated that "Lifting the embargo won't solve the problems of the Cuban people. Maintaining it is no solution, either". He called on the U.S. to immediately lift the embargo on food and medicine. He also maintained his distance from Cuban political groups based in the U.S. In particular, he refused to support their stated goal of land reacquisition upon the return of exiles to Cuba: "It is not a neoliberal programme. For this, we are under attack by the powerful groups in Miami. When people say what is going to happen in Cuba after Fidel, we say – hold on, there are 11 million people in Cuba, not only Fidel Castro." Opposition to government cooperation In 2005, he also feuded with democracy activist Marta Beatriz Roque, accusing her of collaborating with security forces to provide justification for a further crackdown. Although his political activity was tolerated and on a few occasions he was allowed to travel abroad, Payá reported that both he and his family were subject to routine intimidation: "I have been told that I am going to be killed before the regime is over but I am not going to run away." Death Payá died