HeCuban priest Alberto Reyes, one of the greatest defenders of religious freedom in Cuba, denounced the abuses committed by the Castro regime against the Catholic Church.
In an interview given to Catholic televisionEWTN Spanish, the parish priest stated that on the island there is freedom of worship, but not of religion.
He explained that in the country there is an office of religious affairs that monitors the church and on which many permits that the organization needs to work depend: “It supervises us, spies on us, controls us, tries to silence us because one of the mechanisms is, for example try to silence our voices through the bishops.”
On the topic of religious freedom he said that: “There is freedom of worship, that is, the temples are open, mass can be given, catechesis can be given, catechumenate can be given, the sacraments can be administered. But religious freedom goes much deeper than that.”
Last September, the parish priest denounced that the Cuban government prohibited the Catholic community of Esmeralda, in Camagüey, from carrying out the procession of the Virgin of Charity.
"If as a Church we cannot decide even the time of a procession, what can these people expect?" questioned the father andaccused the government of not respecting religious freedom.
In the interview granted to the Catholic channel, Reyes mentioned the specific case ofCaritas, an international humanitarian aid organization of the Catholic Church, which the Castro regime prevents from assisting the most needy Cuban people: “It cannot import containers of medicines that could be imported like this [snaps fingers] because there are many people willing to send all the medicines that are needed and to finance it.”
“We have to maintain the theater that Cuba is a medical power, that everyone has their health resolved, so in order to maintain a theatrical lie, people will die. This is cruel,” stated the parish priest of the diocese of Camagüey.
In thefirst part of the interview granted to the Catholic television stationEWTN Spanish, Reyes denounced some of the problems of current Cuban society, among them he mentioned the economic crisis and the repression of the Castro regime after theprotests that occurred on July 11, 2021.
During the second part of the dialogue with the channel, the priest again spoke about the events of 11J, considerations that remain valid today afterthe demonstrations that took place in Cuba this Sunday.
“July 11 was a stand-up, of course the repression was brutal and there are still many people in prison, but we have to continue standing up. This prison that is Cuba, which I say is a big prison that if you behave badly they put you in a smaller one, this prison with water bars, we already have it,” said the priest. “The people who continue taking risks and dying in the sea and in the jungle, we already have it. Even when?".
Father Reyes shows special sensitivity towards the problems of vulnerable people and, from numerous podiums, promotes civic, ethical and Christian thinking.
One of his greatest contributions are the books he has published and also his digital column “I've been thinking.”
“I believe that you have to tell the truth, without offending anyone. In fact, I am very respectful in my writings, I don't mess with anyone, I don't judge anyone, but as I see the truth, I tell it," explained the priest.
Reyes told the Catholic channel that he wants a prosperous country, open to God, and without forgetting the past, "because the memory of people is usually short."
The Cuban priest, one of the most critical voices of the Castro regime, turned his Facebook profile into a forum for constant denunciation of the evils of the government on the island.
In his last publication he reflected “What more do you want from me, Cuban Revolution? Now that no one believes in your speeches anymore, now that no one wants you or loves you anymore.”
Besides,accused the government of keeping the people living among ruins, dirt and misery, overwhelmed by the lack of food and medicine.
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