Exposing Religious Repression in Cuba
In this interview with journalist Alejandro Marcano from Martí Noticias, Yaxys Cires, Director of Strategey at the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, exposes systematic patterns of religious repression in Cuba during 2023, drawing from a report compiled by the Cuban Observatory.
Yaxys provides examples to Martí Noticias that highlight the violation of religious freedom against political prisoners, their families, and priests of various denominations (Catholics, Yorubas). This comes at a time when the Cuban people are grappling with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and are in urgent need of spiritual support.
Translation to English by Democratic Spaces’ of Yaxys Cires' remarks on the state of religious freedoms in Cuba and violations of freedom of worship and freedom of thought throughout 2023.
"The Cuban regime employs control and surveillance measures to restrict the practice of religious freedom. In 2023, we documented at least 936 instances of such violations. These violations range from hindering the attendance of the Ladies in White and relatives of political prisoners at Sunday masses, to police summons and harassment directed at institutions like the Center for Coexistence Studies Cuba, led by Engineer Dagoberto Valdez.
Arbitrary detention of Berta Soler, leader of the Ladies in September 28, 2018. Photo / Juan Angel Moya / Twitter.
Berta Soler and members of her movement, the Ladies in White, have been prevented numerous times through arbitrary and violent arrests by State Security from attending Sunday mass to demand the release of all Cuban political prisoners
The Ladies in White is an organization & a movement founded in 2003 following the mass arrests of pro democracy leaders and human rights activists in Cuba known as the Black Spring. The group is composed of wives, mothers, and relatives of political prisoners. They are characterized by wearing white and holding Sunday marches to attend mass at a Catholic church and demand the release of political prisoners.
In 2005, the Ladies in White received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament.
Additionally, certain political prisoners were denied religious assistance. For instance, we documented harassment against political prisoner and Yoruba priest Loreto Hernandez. During the visit of Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Mrs. Ailex Marcano, the mother of political prisoner Ángel Jesús Veliz, was detained for 7 hours to prevent her from attending mass.
In essence, among these 936 cases, various forms of violations of religious freedoms have been identified, encompassing freedom of worship and freedom of conscience. In 2022, NGOs such as Prisoners Defenders and Outreach Aid to the Americas (OAA) compiled a report on religious repression in Cuba, prompting the Department of State to classify Cuba as a violator of religious freedom.
This issue is not merely an infringement on individual rights but also poses a significant challenge to Cuban society itself, which is currently grappling with a profound crisis on all fronts. With 88% of families living in extreme poverty or facing escalating violence, it is the churches, Christian communities, priests, laypeople, nuns, and pastors of evangelical churches who are providing crucial assistance to the people amidst this critical situation.”
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References
Casi un millar de actuaciones contra el ejercicio de las libertades religiosas en Cuba en 2023, (Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos), March 27. 2023, https://observacuba.org/millar-actuaciones-contra-libertades-religiosas-cuba-2023/ (Report in English, click here).
Constitutional Reform and Religious Freedoms in Cuba,. (Prisoners Defenders. August 2, 2022), https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EHc05nuca2S0q3nZLI-NJWLVaWKQPbRK/view?pli=1
Annual Impact Report. 2022 (Outreach Aid to the Americas), https://oaausa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2022-Annual-Impact-Report.pdf
2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Cuba (U.S. State Department, Office of International Religious Freedoms. 2022), https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/cuba/#:~:text=On%20November%2030%2C%202022%2C%20in,severe%20violations%20of%20religious%20freedom.