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The priest Alberto Reyes Pías, one of the voices from the Catholic Church critical of the dictatorial regime in Cuba, stated this Tuesday that he has not left the country and has no intentions of doing so.
Reyes responded to frequent questions about whether he left the island: “Many people have been asking me if I have left Cuba. That surprises me. I haven't left, nor do I have the slightest intention of doing so,” he stated in a Facebook post, a social network he regularly uses to share deep reflections on the realities of the country and to convey messages of encouragement to the Cuban people amid the hardships faced due to failed government policies.
The words of the parish priest of the Archdiocese of Camagüey were immediately supported by dozens of his followers and parishioners, who described him as a “brave Cuban” and “pride of the Catholics”. They praised the clarity of the analyses he publishes on social media and expressed their admiration and respect for his stance and priestly work.
On the first day of 2025, Reyes shared a message outlining a vision for the future of Cuba in the newly begun year, expressing his hope for the moment when no one would want to leave the country.
Inspired by the famous phrase of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.: “I have a dream,” the priest pointed out that Cuba needs a radical shift towards freedom, prosperity, and reconciliation, and that it should be a country “where no one wants to leave and where everyone wants to come and live”.
Reyes called for hope and expressed his dream of a Cuba where one day misery and scarcity will be a thing of the past, and joy and progress will be part of everyday life.
He also imagined a country free of political prisoners, where mothers and wives do not have to confront violence for demanding freedom for their loved ones; and expressed his desire for a justice system based on respect rather than repression, where freedom of expression is a reality and everyone can participate in public debate without fear.
A few days ago, the priest spoke out about the release of 553 political prisoners in Cuba, announced by the Castro regime following negotiations with the United States mediated by the Vatican, and questioned the “blackmail” by Cuban authorities using prisoners as bargaining chips “in favor of the continuity of evil.”
"To begin with, imprisonment for political reasons is a violation of individuals' personal freedom. In fact, there should be no political prisoners, but using them as commodities does not acknowledge not only their right to freedom of expression but also their dignity and intrinsic worth as human beings," she stated.
The parish priest raised several questions following the announcement of the measure: “What will happen to those who will not be released? If this really is a 'gesture of goodwill,' why is the same not being done for everyone? I also wonder, what will happen to those who have been released? Will they be pressured to leave the country, whether they want to or not? Will they be allowed to reintegrate peacefully into society, or will their lives be made miserable?”
In a precise and timely text, the ecclesiastic urged the Cuban government to “recognize the right of citizens to publicly express their opinions, even if among those opinions is their desire for a change of system,” “stop repressing and exercising violence against those who choose to peacefully demonstrate by any means,” and “acknowledge the right of this people to a diversity of political options, to healthy multipartyism, and to the possibility of defining in the polls the political system they prefer to choose.”
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