The ceremony in Miami was attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Former Polish President Lech Wałęsa, who chairs the prize committee, was represented by his son, Polish lawmaker Jarosław Wałęsa.
In his address, Sikorski praised Soler for her “determination and courage,” calling the award “an expression of special recognition" not only for her but also for "all Ladies in White" and for the "democratic aspirations of the Cuban people."
Soler was unable to attend for political reasons. Sikorski handed the statuette to Irma Santos de Mas, a representative of the Cuban American National Foundation, and announced that Soler would receive a cash prize of PLN 1 million (EUR 235,000, USD 275,000).
The Lech Wałęsa Solidarity Prize was established in 2014 and relaunched last year.
It honours individuals and organisations for outstanding contributions to democracy and civil liberties worldwide.
Previous recipients include Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev, Russian journalist and activist Zhanna Nemtsova, and Belarusian opposition figure Pavel Latushka, who received the award last year.
(gs)
Source: gov.pl