Three detained Baptist pastors in Cuba released
Three Baptist minister in Cuba who had been detained after nationwide protests have been released. However, the wife and child of one of the pastors forcibly were evicted from their home.
Meanwhile, Baptist groups internationally have expressed support for fellow believers on the troubled island nation.
Christian leaders are among the hundreds Cuban authorities detained after spontaneous peaceful demonstrations occurred July 11 throughout the nation, where food shortages are widespread and COVID-19 cases are escalating. Marching under the banner “Patria y Vida” (Homeland and Life), protestors urged the government to allow humanitarian aid into the country and make it accessible to citizens.
Yusniel Pérez Montejo, a minister affiliated with the Eastern Baptist Convention of Cuba who had been detained since July 11, was the first of the three Baptist ministers to be released.
However, Christian Solidarity Worldwide—a human rights and religious freedom organization based in the United Kingdom—reported Montego was subjected to intense interrogation for three hours. At that time, he reportedly was accused of—but not formally charged with—incitement to delinquency.
CSW also reported two Berean Baptist ministers associated with William Carey Biblical Seminary— Yéremi Blanco Ramírez and Yarian Sierra Madrigal—were released on July 24 after being detained incommunicado nearly two weeks, first in a women’s prison in Matanzas and then in a state security facility.
Claudia Salazar, the wife of Yarian Sierra Madrigal, and the couple’s young son were forcibly evicted from their home on July 18. CWS cited sources who reported state security threatened the family’s landlord, telling him he would lose the property if he did not evict them. The wife and child sought shelter in a church.
In a public statement Salazar released prior to her eviction, she described her husband and Yéremi Blanco Ramírez as “honorable Cuban citizens” who “have dedicated all their youth and lives to serve the church and to serve others.”
Another Protestant pastor, Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo has been detained in a state security facility more than two weeks.
“While CSW welcomes news of the release of pastors Yéremi Blanco Ramírez and Yarian Sierra Madrigal, and wishes both men and their families a swift recovery from this traumatic ordeal, neither of these men should have ever been detained in the first place,” said Anna-Lee Stangl, head of advocacy for CSW.
“The Cuban authorities’ treatment of their families whilst they were in detention is deplorable. We call for all charges against the pastors to be dropped, for Pastor Sierra’s family to be permitted to return to their home, and for the immediate and unconditional release of Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo and all others who have been detained in connection with the peaceful exercise of their basic human rights.”
International response to events in Cuba
On July 14, the board of directors of the Union of Baptists in Latin America—a regional body affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance—issued a statement calling for respect for “the fundamental rights of persons deprived of liberty,” supporting the right of citizens to demonstrate peaceably, urging Cuban authorities to allow humanitarian aid to enter the country and inviting Christians globally to “keep the flame of prayer going.”
Canadian Baptist Ministries, which has been involved in a partnership with the Eastern Baptist Convention of Cuba for 15 years, issued its own “statement of solidarity with the people of Cuba.”
“We are asking the Canadian government to put pressure on the Cuban government to listen and respond to the people’s demands,” the Canadian Baptist statement said. “We ask that the humanitarian aid so desperately needed, which is already available and awaiting approval for delivery, can reach the people as soon as possible.
“We support the witness of local churches throughout Cuba, as they stand strong in these extremely trying times. We will continue to stand alongside the people of Cuba and the work of the church, as they fight for freedom and the rights of all people.”
On July 22, the United States imposed sanctions on Cuban Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera and the country’s special forces brigade for their role in suppressing peaceful protests.
“This is just the beginning—the United States will continue to sanction individuals responsible for oppression of the Cuban people,” President Joe Biden stated.
“Advancing human dignity and freedom is a top priority for my administration, and we will work closely with our partners throughout the region, including the Organization of American States, to pressure the regime to immediately release wrongfully detained political prisoners, restore internet access, and allow the Cuban people to enjoy their fundamental rights.”
This article—posted July 26—updates and replaces an article originally posted July 23 to provide new information about the release of two detained ministers.