“If We Stay Quiet They Crush Us”

[bomberfox]

Why did you bring your boring blog here?

Its advertising of course.

 

[Sandokan]

Cuban Government Silent over Pastor Held in Prison for Seven Months | Syndicated Christian News (nacministers.net)

02/18/2022 by 1

The government of Cuba has failed to respond to a joint request from five United Nations human rights advocates concerning the status of a Protestant pastor who has been in prison for the past seven months.

Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, the pastor of the Monte de Sion Independent Church in Palma Soriano, was arrested in July 2021 for participating in peaceful protests against the communist government.

Fajardo was initially held at the Versailles State Security facility, where guards allegedly beat him and urinated on him. He reportedly lost a tooth due to physical abuse.

The pastor was then taken to Boniato Maximum Security Prison the following month, where he remains to this day. In December, Fajardo was tried on charges of “disrespect,” criminal incitement and public disorder.

The prison guards of the Castroist communist regime have beating and urinate on Pastor Lorenzo Rosales that has been held in prison for 7 months. The regime does not give a damp about the United Nations human rights groups requesting information about the trial and physical condition of the pastor. The regime has a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, the fox guarding the chickens.

 

[Sandokan]

‘The Church was left without a place to worship’ – The story of Alain Toledano Valiente – FoRB in Full

Posted on 07/02/2022by cswpress

Part 1

‘We were evicted for the first time in 2007. The government came into our house [and] threw us out into the street – they took everything from us and threw it into the street. We were left homeless. At the same time, the government demolished our place of worship, Emanuel Church. They destroyed the floor and took it away. They left everything in ruins. They confiscated our land. This was the first violation of that scale. They demolished everything and took everything from us, our family possessions, music and audio equipment. Everything the church had was seized, all our technology was taken away. The church was left without land, its property and possessions, without a place to worship and we were left homeless in the street.’

Pastor Alain Toledano Valiente in an interview with CSW, September 2020

Less than ten years later, Emanuel Church in Santiago de Cuba was subjected to a second major attack. At 5am on Friday 5 February 2016, military, state security and police officers surrounded the property where the church was located and where the Toledano family was living. Pastor Toledano was abroad at the time, but his wife was taken into custody by government authorities and held incommunicado for the duration of the demolition from 5am to 7pm. Around 40 church members were also detained, and the church and home were demolished.

In 2016 Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) recorded 2,380 separate violations of freedom of religion or belief under the Castroist regime. Of those, over 2,000 included the whole church congregations. About 200 involved arrest of women groups to prevent them from attending Mass. The brutal and public strategies used by the Castroit regime has continued throughout 2017. These include arbitrary arrests, beatings, demolishing places of worship and confiscation of charge property. As Toledano has said: “If we stay quiet they crush us”.

 

[Sandokan]

‘The Church was left without a place to worship’ – The story of Alain Toledano Valiente – FoRB in Full

Part 2

Sixty years of oppression

By the start of the year 1959, Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz had seized full political control of Cuba. The beginning of his leadership marked the start of a period of increasing state repression of religious and belief groups in Cuba. Under Castro’s political rule, it was made almost impossible for unregistered religious groups to receive legal recognition from the Ministry of Justice. Any new religious groups and their activities were rendered illegal under Cuban law.

Castro’s leadership formally ended in 2008, but violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) have not abated.

The Office of Religious Affairs (ORA), part of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (CCP), was created to regulate religious affairs on the island. In reality, the ORA is a major perpetrator of FoRB violations in Cuba.
Click link above for full article.

Since 2015 the Castroit regime has intensified its attacks on religious freedom. The regime has been cracking down on Christians by imprisoning pastors, confiscating and demolishing churches. That year more than 100 churches in Cuba were designated for demolition, and 2,000 Assemblies of God churches were declared illegal. Since the start of 2016, four major churches have been demolished, with many more at risk.

 

[Sandokan]

The Castroist communist regime objective is very clear, to leave Christians organizations without resources and force pastors to leave the country. The strategies used by the regime has continuous unabated trying to crush Christians. But Christians continuous worshiping in the pile of rubles. Their faith cannot be destroyed.

 

[Sandokan]

‘The Church was left without a place to worship’ – The story of Alain Toledano Valiente – FoRB in Full

Part 3

A church under attack

In 1999, Alain Toledano founded Emanuel Church with his wife, Marilín Alayo Correa, in Santiago de Cuba. The community, which began with just a few people in a living room, quickly grew into the hundreds.

Since CSW began monitoring Pastor Alain’s case in 2005, 47 accounts of violations against Alain have been logged, 45% of which involve harassment, and 34% threats.



Violations relating specifically to Emanuel Church’s place of worship – be it destruction of property, threats of confiscation, or allegations against the legality of land ownership – make up 36% of the 47 reported cases.

After the destruction of their church building in 2016, the congregation of Emanuel Church was forced for some time to divide and meet in various houses around the city. For the past few years, they have been constructing and meeting in a building on land owned by Rudisvel Rivera Robert, a member of the congregation.

The Castroist tyrannical regime continuous cracking down on the congregation of Emanuel Church, destroying its church, stealing their properties, and imprisoning his pastor Alain Toledano. But regardless of the destruction of the Christian church by the regime demolition team, Toledano Christian congregation continuous worshiping in the pile of rubles. Their faith cannot be destroyed. Toledano is a brave man of Christian faith and great principles.

 

[Sandokan]

‘The Church was left without a place to worship’ – The story of Alain Toledano Valiente – FoRB in Full

Part 4

Much like with their previous place of worship, attempts to prevent Emanuel Church from meeting on Mr Rivera’s land have been routine and persistent.

On 6 September 2019, for example, Pastor Toledano was summoned to the Police Station, his third summons within a period of 15 days. At the station, he was threatened with imprisonment and verbally assaulted by officials. Seeing that Pastor Toledano remained firm and would not be forced to stop holding church services, the officials applied a fine of 500 Cuban pesos (approximately 15GBP/20USD) and issued a decree which threatened to demolish the site where the church was meeting.


An outdoor Emanuel Church meeting, the original church building was demolished.

In the following years, the government has maintained and intensified their campaign of threats, fines, harassment and arbitrary detentions against Emanuel Church’s right to a place of worship. On 30 September 2021, two state security agents posing as inspectors arrived at Mr Rivera’s home to investigate alleged construction infractions. They conducted a search of the house and found nothing illegal, then identified themselves as state security officials. They demanded that Mr Rivera stop lending his land to Emanuel Church, which he refused. The officials returned with police officers and Mr Rivera was taken into custody. His three young children watched on as he was taken, crying. For several hours, he was threatened at the Abel Santamaria District Police Station.

The Castroist communist regime continuous to target pastors, demolishing the church buildings, banned them from leaving the country, bringing false charges against them and arbitrarily been detained. The regime could care less about religious freedom and human rights.

 

[Sandokan]

‘The Church was left without a place to worship’ – The story of Alain Toledano Valiente – FoRB in Full

Part5

Article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: ‘everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.’

The ability to practice, worship and observe faith in community, and more specifically in a safe place of worship, is a freedom taken for granted in many countries across the world. But for Pastor Toledano and his congregation, as for so many religious groups in Cuba, it is the furthest thing from a given. Since its formation in 1999, Emanuel church’s freedom to meet and worship has been consistently and persistently attacked.

Ironically, this continuing campaign of harassment against church communities illustrates just how much the Cuban government fears the authority of churches like Emanuel Church and leaders like Pastor Toledano.

We must therefore stand in solidarity with Pastor Toledano and the community of Emanuel Church. And we must declare that we will not accept a reality in which Emanuel Church, or any other peaceful religious or belief group in Cuba, is left without a place to worship.

By CSW’s Advocacy Intern

---

​

Below is a timeline detailing just a few of the violations which have been perpetrated against Pastor Toledano over the past 15 years. A more detailed version is available to download as a PDF here.

Without a strong and moral USA, most of the world will drift into totalitarianism and secularism.

---

​

 

[Sandokan]

Cuba sentences pastor to 8 years in prison: report | World News (christianpost.com)

CP WORLD | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2022

Regime failed to notify pastor and his family for months after sentencing

By Ian Giatti, CP Contributor


Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo and his wife Maridilegnis Carballo | Christian Solidarity Worldwide

A Protestant pastor has reportedly been sentenced to eight years in prison for participating in peaceful protests against Cuba’s communist regime, bringing renewed attention to the government’s harsh crackdown on religious activities and peaceful demonstrations.

Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo was detained without trial for over two months following protests in Cuba last summer, which were said to be the largest in decades amid ongoing shortages of medicine and food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United Kingdom-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide recently reported that the Cuban government notified the United Nations in March that Rosales Fajardo, a pastor for 20 years who leads the nondenominational Monte de Sion church in Palma Soriano, was sentenced to eight years in prison for charges including “disrespect” and “public disorder."

Pastor Rosales Fajardo, was sentenced to eight years in prison for charges including “disrespect” and “public disorder.” According to the Castroist communist regime Fajardo, a pastor for 20 years, his church is not a legitimate church, since it is not on the regime list of “recognized churches." This Couldn't Be More Orwellian.

 

[Sandokan]

On an unspecified date following his trial on December 20 and 21, 2021, Rosales Fajardo was sentenced to eight years in prison. Rosales Fajardo's wife has been threatened with imprisonment herself if she continues to speak out publicly about her husband's case. This is part of the regime crackdown on religious activities and peaceful demonstrations. Authorities have previously harassed Rosales Fajardo in relation to his religious activity. In 2012, they confiscated his church's property.

 

[Sandokan]

Fears for health of imprisoned Yoruba religious leader - CSW

9 Jun 2022

The family of a leader of the Association of Free Yorubas, an independent religious group in Cuba, has expressed concern for the well-being of Loreto Hernández García who was forced to return to prison on 7 June, after State Security ordered that he be expelled from the hospital where he had been receiving medical treatment since 29 May.

Mr Hernández García has diabetes and hypertension and has been subjected to severe beatings while in prison. He was detained on 16 July 2021 as part of a government crackdown on protestors who participated in spontaneous and peaceful demonstrations across the island on 11 July 2021. He is serving a seven-year sentence in Guamajal Prison on charges of disrespect and public disorder, which CSW believes to be false.

His wife and two other members of the Association of Free Yorubas, an Afro-Cuban religious group, are also in prison in connection with their participation in the 11 July protests. Donaida Perez Pasairo, Mr Hernández García’s wife, is serving an eight-year sentence. The group has a long history of being targeted by the government, in part because of their decision to remain independent of Afro-Cuban religious groups with links to the government.
Click link above for full article.

García, vice president of the Free Yoruba Association of Cuba, on July 15, 2021, was arrested following his peaceful participation in protests on July 11, 2021, and was charged on unspecified charges. Many of the people the participated in the protest were of mix race The article makes obvious that the regime want Garcia to die.

 

[Sandokan]

Under the antireligious and racist Castroist communist regime, which has claimed to have eliminated racial inequality, speaking about race is counterrevolutionary. By denying the existence of racism in Cuba for 62 years, the regime guaranteed a safe haven for the perpetuation and growth of a rampant racism in Cuba.

 

[Sandokan]

Cuban pastor among prominent dissidents still jailed after peaceful 2021 protests - Washington Times

By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times - Tuesday, July 5, 2022

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has given Cuba a failing grade in a new report.

The independent advisory panel, which makes recommendations to the White House, State Department and Congress on religious liberty issues, released a 30-page report detailing Cuba’s treatment of believers as dissidents prepare to mark the anniversary of July 11, 2021, protests that saw a number of religious leaders jailed.

One of the most prominent clerics, Protestant pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, was among 15 Cubans whose convictions on charges relating to the July 11 protests were upheld June 24 by a court in Cuba. Mr. Fajardo “was violently arrested” following his participation in what rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide called “peaceful protests.”

CSW said the religious leader “has been imprisoned in Boniato Maximum Security Prison since August 2021, and was tried and convicted of charges of ‘disrespect,’ ‘assault,’ ‘criminal incitement’ and ‘public disorder’” in December of last year, receiving a seven-year sentence.

According to USCIRF, the communist regime “fails to meet international standards” for freedom of religion or belief.”
Click link above for full article.

Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, imprisoner since August 2021 in Boniato Maximum Security Prison for peacefully participating on July 11, 2021, on December 2021 received a seven-year sentence charged with disrespect, incitement and public disorder. He is paying a hefty price for his criticism of the Castroit communist regime.

 

[post]

• Home
• Forums
• Non-Political Forums
• Beliefs and Skepticism

• “If We Stay Quiet They Crush Us”​

 

[thelastman]

Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, imprisoner since August 2021 in Boniato Maximum Security Prison for peacefully participating on July 11, 2021, on December 2021 received a seven-year sentence charged with disrespect, incitement and public disorder. He is paying a hefty price for his criticism of the Castroit communist regime.

It is none of your business what we do to Christians outside of US borders Imperialist.

 

[Sandokan]

The regime continuous to target pastors, demolishing the church buildings, banned them from leaving the country, bringing false charges against them and arbitrarily been detained. The regime could care less about religious freedom and human rights It failed on 34 of 36 internationally recognized human rights standards.

 

[Sandokan]

Cuban evangelical pastor threatened with imprisonment for holding prayer services – Babalú Blog (babalublog.com)

October 12, 2022 by Carlos Eire


Very dangerous pastor Yasser Carballo and his equally dangerous congregation

From our very busy Bureau of Socialist Tolerance, Compassion, and Social Justice with some assistance from our Bureau of Marxist Spirituality

Castro, Inc. boasts of upholding freedom of religion, but this is just another of its innumerable lies, eagerly believed by most earthlings.

The real truth is that Castro, Inc. does not allow anyone to believe in any power higher than the state itself. And this is a fundamental principle of Marxist spirituality. And don’t let anyone fool into believing that Marxism isn’t really a religion.

Loosely translated from Marti Noticias:

Cuban authorities summoned and threatened evangelical pastor Yasser Caraballo on Monday to desist from carrying out a religious act in a rural area of ??Sancti Spíritus.

Caraballo, 40 years old. told Radio Martí that, when attending the police summons at the El Vivac unit, in the provincial capital, an officer who identified himself as Damián threatened to take him to prison if he went to pray on a hill near the city, along with to other religious and parishioners.

“He told me to prepare a brush and paste, that if I went to pray in the mountains they could put me in jail,” Caraballo told Radio Martí.
Click link above for full article.

The Castroist communist regime objective is very clear, to leave Christians organizations without resources and force pastors to leave the country. The strategies used by the regime has continuous unabated trying to crush Christians. But Christians continuous worshiping in the mountains. They shall be allowed to worship freely and in peace. Their faith cannot be destroyed.

 

[Sandokan]

Cuban dictatorship fines EWTN correspondent and threatens him during interrogation | Catholic News Agency

Adrián Martínez Cádiz, EWTN correspondent | Credit: EWTN News

By CNA Staff

Denver Newsroom, Oct 21, 2022 / 15:00 pm

On Friday, the police of the dictatorship in Cuba interrogated Adrián Martínez Cádiz, EWTN correspondent in Havana, and later fined him 3,000 Cuban pesos (about $125) for having criticized the regime on social media.

The Territorial Control Office of the Cuban Ministry of Communications issued an official document in which it determined that the journalist violated Decree Law 370 by “disseminating, through public data transmission networks, information contrary to the interests of society, morals, good customs, and people’s safety.”

Therefore, continues the Oct. 21 document, “the competent authority proceeded to impose a fine for a value of 3,000” pesos.
Click link above for full article.

Decree 370 was adopted in 2019 and established fines for publishing content on social media which the authorities interpret as critical of the government or of the situation in the country. He was told by the officer that “I could be criminally prosecuted if I continue to publish.” The regime uses legal instruments to discriminate against members of religious communities.

 

[Sandokan]

Pre-criminal danger to society is a legal charge under the Castroist regime law which allows the authorities to detain people whom they think they are likely to commit crimes in the future. Under the regime penal code, the charge covers behaviors contrary “to the standards of communist morality.” The charge carries a penalty of up to four years in prison. By using this law the regime imprisons people without justification. Many LGBT people through the years have been jailed under those charges. Truly a Machiavellian scheme

 

[Nickyjo]

Pre-criminal danger to society is a legal charge under the Castroist regime law which allows the authorities to detain people whom they think they are likely to commit crimes in the future. Under the regime penal code, the charge covers behaviors contrary “to the standards of communist morality.” The charge carries a penalty of up to four years in prison. By using this law the regime imprisons people without justification. Many LGBT people through the years have been jailed under those charges. Truly a Machiavellian scheme

And one highlighted in a film, the name of which escapes me. Though I have heard that things have loosened up a bit for LGBT folks since the documentary on their persecution that appeared some years ago.

 

[Sandokan]

Cuban dictatorship to interrogate EWTN correspondent a second time | Catholic News Agency

Adrián Martínez Cádiz, EWTN correspondent in Cuba | Credit: EWTN News

By CNA Staff
CNA Newsroom, Nov 16, 2022

The Cuban dictatorship’s National Revolutionary Police once again summoned Adrián Martínez Cádiz, a correspondent for EWTN News, for an “interview” or interrogation Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m., without specifying the reasons for the summons.

This is the second time in less than a month that Martínez has to appear before the Cuban police at the Plaza de la Revolución station. On the first occasion, Oct. 21, at the conclusion of the summons he was fined 3,000 pesos (about $125) for criticizing the regime.

At the first summons, Martínez was interrogated by a lieutenant colonel who, according to the correspondent, “treated me very badly, he raised his voice at me in a very bad way, he told me to shut up the times I wanted to explain something,” Martínez lamented.

The officer “threatened several times to put me in jail for my posts on social media. … They allege that I create ‘memes’ against the president, which isn’t true.”

Before being fined, the officer began to fill out an official written warning in order for the journalist to make a commitment to the Cuban state.

“He told me that he was officially warning me that I could be criminally prosecuted if I continue to publish,” the journalist said.
Click link above for full article.

The Castroist communist regime is combining the persecution of free press and religion a double whammy. It keeps harassing dissidents and religious correspondents among others, intimidating and arresting them to reduce their impact among the Cuban people. The regime is very worry about their influence and what it can do to its political control of power.

 

[Sandokan]

Patmos Prize Awarded to Protestant Pastor Lorenzo Rosales, Imprisoned for Protests of 11 July 2021 – Translating Cuba

Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo has sent his thanks for the award, from prison.

14ymedio, Havana 31 October 2022 — Lorenzo Rosales, the Cuban protestant pastor condemned to seven years in prison after joining the 21 July 2021 anti-government protests, has been awarded the Patmos prize, which is given out annually by the Cuban Institute of the same name.

The annual award, now in its ninth year, is presented every 31 October in honour of a Cuban follower of the faith on the Day of the Protestant Reformation. Rosales, who is serving his sentence at the maximum security prison in Boniato, Santiago de Cuba, gave thanks for his award by letter. Previous recipients have been: José Conrado Alegría, Oscar Elías Biscet, Dagoberto Valdés Hernández, Eduardo Cardet Concepción, Roberto de Jesús Quiñones Haces, Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello and Ernesto Borges Pérez.

“It’s a privilege, on a day like today after more than a year of unjust incarceration in a maximum security prison, to receive this award. I don’t believe any human being would ever be able to get used to being in this place. Prison life is very hard, and it’s worse when you know it’s an injustice, but I’m not afraid”, Rosales wrote after hearing the news.
Click link above for full article.

On July 11, 2021, Pastor Rosales joined the peaceful protests against the Castroist communist government and was jailed in a high security prison since August 2021. The European Parliament, US congressmen and human rights organizations called for his release. But instead of that, in May 2022 the regime sentenced him to 7 years in prison on charges of “disrespect, assault, criminal incitement and public disorder”. Cannot be more Orwellian than that, it is sickening. At least, this Patmos Prize Award is some sort of consolation.

 

[Nickyjo]

On July 11, 2021, Pastor Rosales joined the peaceful protests against the Castroist communist government and was jailed in a high security prison since August 2021. The European Parliament, US congressmen and human rights organizations called for his release. But instead of that, in May 2022 the regime sentenced him to 7 years in prison on charges of “disrespect, assault, criminal incitement and public disorder”. Cannot be more Orwellian than that, it is sickening. At least, this Patmos Prize Award is some sort of consolation.

Cuba should be condemned for this. But not too long ago, in the right-wing countries whose records your posts ignore, this poor man would have been killed outright. Archbishop Romero was murdered while saying mass, by a killer whom the right wing in the US honored.

 

[Sandokan]

Priest decries lack of religious freedom in Cuba | Catholic News Agency

By CNA Staff

CNA Newsroom, Dec 15, 2022 / 13:06 pm

Father Alberto Reyes, a priest of the Archdiocese of Camagüey, Cuba, charged that there is no religious freedom in the country, since the Office of Religious Affairs controls the practice of the faith and oversees “every movement of the Church.”

In a Dec. 14 Facebook post, the priest pointed out that religious freedom “is not reduced to believers being able to meet in our churches to worship the God who brings us together” but also entails a series of rights that the Church cannot exercise in Cuba.

One of these rights, he said, is the freedom of expression for the members of the Church, since the Office of Religious Affairs of the communist regime constantly calls the bishops and superiors of the congregations “when what a priest or religious says or does bothers them.”

The objective of this office, he pointed out, is “to try to make (the bishops or superiors) the ones who ‘get the priest or religious in line’ while those who are really behind it remain with clean hands.”

“If in my land there were religious freedom,” he added, “the churches would have access to social media, and we could offer our radio and television programs, to make known through them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which we consider the best program of life that exists.”
Click link above for full article.

Excellent article by Father Alberto Reyes. He says that there is “series of rights that the Church cannot exercise in Cuba.” the churches have no access to social media, radio and television. The Church is not allowed to stablished its own schools to participate in the education of children. Construction of new churches is practically impossible, since the authorization take many years. He finishes his post saying that all these rights could be exercised “if there were religious freedom in my land... but there isn’t.”

 

[Sandokan]

Country Update: Religious Freedom Conditions in Cuba (uscirf.gov)

By Zack Udin, Research Analys

Laws Impacting Religious Freedom

Legal Background

Cuba is a one-party system under the ruling Cuban Communist Party, with no independent judiciary. A new constitution adopted in April 2019 protects the freedom of religion or belief and prohibits religious discrimination, but provisions in the penal and administrative codes contravene these protections, such as Decree-Law 35. A timetable was set to review and amend corresponding legislation to codify the constitutional changes, including the Law of Associations. However, this process has been delayed, resulting in some constitutional rights existing only on paper. In July, USCIRF released a report, Constitutional Reform and Religious Freedom in Cuba, which analyzed the ways in which Cuba’s newly approved constitution dilutes freedom of religion or belief guarantees compared with the previous constitution.

Prosecution of Independent Journalists

The Cuban government frequently targets independent journalists who report on religious freedom by threatening criminal charges and fines, often under Decree Law 370, and imposing travel restrictions. Decree Law 370 criminalizes the exercise of freedom of expression, information, communication, and independent press on the internet.

Cuban authorities have twice interrogated and fined young Catholic layman and journalist Adrián Martínez Cádiz this year. Martínez is active with his local Catholic community and recently began working with EWTN news as a correspondent. In October, police summoned and interrogated Martínez for an hour, and later fined him about $125 (3,000 Cuban pesos) for violating Decree Law 370 based on posts he authored on social media. In November, he was again summoned by Cuban police for an interrogation at the police station.

USCIRF previously highlighted the plight of Yoe Suárez, an independent journalist the government regularly targeted for his reporting on religious freedom issues. Suárez faced arrests, confiscation of his property, fines, and two and a half years of travel restrictions. This ongoing harassment prompted the IACHR to request that the Cuban government protect the rights to life and personal integrity of Suárez and his family and allow him to “carry out his activities as an independent journalist without being subjected to acts of violence, intimidation, harassment and detention.” Suárez moved to the United States in September and now lives with his family.

Conclusion

Religious freedom conditions in Cuba remained dire in 2022. While the government professes to value freedom of religion or belief, its actions indicate that its main objective is to control all aspects of religious expression. The government of Cuba exercises this extraconstitutional control over religious groups, arbitrarily limiting the exercise of Freedom of Religion or Believe (FoRB) without regard for constitutional guarantees.

Religious communities and individuals who do not submit to government control face persistent acts of persecution from the ORA and security forces. On December 5, 2022, the U.S. State Department for the first time designated Cuba as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as set forth by the International Religious Freedom Act. Cuba previously had been on the State Department’s Special Watch List since 2019.