Pastor’s Arrest in Cuba Highlights Ongoing Tensions Amid Civil Unrest
In a striking incident amid Cuba’s turbulent climate, a Protestant pastor was apprehended shortly after uploading a religious video to YouTube. The arrest of Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora has sparked attention, particularly as it coincides with civil unrest marked by protests and shortages.
The arrest occurred on March 15 in Peñas Altas, Matanzas, where Pastor Pérez Lora often visited a park to utilize its public Wi-Fi for his online ministry. This particular day followed a significant act of dissent when rioters targeted Communist Party offices in Moron.
A video capturing the arrest shows Pastor Pérez Lora being escorted into a police car, during which he protests, “You’re mistreating me for no reason; I haven’t done anything wrong; this man is mistreating me.”
Released after a few hours, Pastor Pérez Lora described to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) the persistent governmental interference his ministry faces. He recounted, “In the East [of Cuba] we were always persecuted. It was very serious … I always made it clear I wanted to serve all the people, I shared as much as I could, the majority of times all by myself and the authorities looked badly upon this work.”
He further explained ongoing harassment, with police patrols trailing him during spiritual walks and prayer sessions, stating, “State Security in Las Tunas summoned me many times, they harassed me, sending [police] patrols to my house … every time we went out to do a spiritual walk, to pray for the town, we were followed constantly by the police … there are many stories … I know that we are not alone, that there are many people who want to help, especially in this moment when it is so needed.”
Reports from Cuban legal sources to CSW indicate that authorities have similarly detained or restricted several online influencers, aiming to curb the rising dissent.
Anna Lee Stangl, CSW’s advocacy director, criticized the arrest, asserting that Pastor Pérez Lora was “clearly been targeted simply because he shared his faith publicly and because of his influence in his community”.
She emphasized, “While we are relieved that he was released within hours, he never should have been detained in the first place,” adding that the harassment of religious figures and other civil society members must cease immediately.
Stangl urged international entities to communicate to the Cuban Communist Party that such actions against basic freedom of expression are unacceptable and must be halted.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
