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The Cuban priest Alberto Reyes questioned the Castro regime for halting the release of political prisoners without providing any explanation.
Reyes, a strong critic of the dictatorship, recalled that the government announced the process as 'a gesture of goodwill' with the Catholic Church, which supposedly had no connection to Cuba being designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The Camagüeyan parish priest, who already criticized the decision to release only 553 political prisoners out of more than a thousand, points out that when Cuba returned to the list of state sponsors of terrorism, "curiously," the release of prisoners was halted, amid silence from both the government and the church.
"What happened to the gesture of 'goodwill'? Is there no one, from any side, who will ask for explanations?" the Father questions, lamenting that while silence reigns, the prisoners remain condemned and forgotten, and the reasons that led them to take to the streets in protest persist.
Next, CiberCuba shares the full text of the post.
I have been thinking… (101) by Alberto Reyes Pías
I have been thinking about the existence of limbo
The 'limbo' was a theological hypothesis referring to the place where children who had not committed any sin but died unbaptized would go. As a theological hypothesis, limbo was dismissed by the Church, but as a term, we use it today to refer to a place or state of things that have been forgotten or set aside.
And it is there where, apparently, our political prisoners have ended up.
The official press never referred to 'political' prisoners, but when it announced the release of 553 inmates, we all knew they were primarily referring to them. This release was described as 'a gesture of goodwill, within the framework of the Jubilee announced by the Catholic Church,' and thus not directly related to Cuba's inclusion or exclusion from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. From this perspective, the coincidence of the two announcements was presented as mere happenstance: Cuba was being removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism while simultaneously announcing the release of the prisoners.
Now, two events that officially shouldn't be related have once again converged. Cuba has been reinstated on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and, curiously, the release of political prisoners has come to a halt.
But not only that, there has been an absolute silence regarding the issue, at all levels, both governmental and ecclesiastical.
It’s as if, suddenly, our political prisoners have been placed in limbo, that indeterminate, abstract place where you know when you enter but where the exits are a mystery.
The only difference is that, contrary to the original idea, where it was assumed there was no sin involved, our political prisoners are indeed accused of a sin: the grave sin of having had the audacity to go out into the streets to demand freedom for their people, the sin of having shattered before the international community the idyllic image of a country happy and proud of its Marxist-Leninist ideology.
What happened to the gesture of 'goodwill'? What happened to the good relations with the Vatican? Is no one going to say anything? Is no one, from any side, going to demand explanations? Is this going to be another one of those moments where a thick veil is drawn and we return to the old method of unspoken understandings where everyone knows and everyone remains silent?
Because, in that case, it must be said over and over again, because while the silence of everyone descends upon this island, the reasons that led those people to take to the streets remain: symbolic salaries and real hunger, the lack of medication, a paralyzed life, shackled freedom, existence reduced to a daily struggle for survival.
And while silence falls and the island sinks, without horizon or hope, they, those who raised their voices for all, remain imprisoned, condemned, shackled, forgotten.
Frequently asked questions about Alberto Reyes's critique of the Cuban regime and the situation of political prisoners
Why does Alberto Reyes criticize the Cuban regime for halting the release of political prisoners?
Alberto Reyes criticizes the Cuban regime for halting the release of political prisoners without providing any explanations, despite having announced it as a gesture of goodwill. The priest questions the silence from both the government and the church and denounces that the reasons for the protests that led to these prisoners' incarceration still persist.
What is the relationship between the release of political prisoners and Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism?
Although the Cuban government stated that the release was not related to its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, the timing of the detention coincided with Cuba's re-inclusion on this list. This coincidence has raised suspicions and criticism from Alberto Reyes, who questions the regime's sincerity in its actions.
What is Alberto Reyes' stance on the imprisonment of political prisoners in Cuba?
Alberto Reyes believes that imprisonment for political reasons is a violation of personal freedom and a form of coercion, as prisoners are used as bargaining chips by the regime. He also criticizes the fact that not all political prisoners are being released and fears that this process may merely be a prelude to filling the prisons again in the event of new protests.
What does Alberto Reyes ask of the international community and the Church regarding the situation of political prisoners in Cuba?
Alberto Reyes hopes that both the international community and the Catholic Church will raise their voices and demand explanations from the Cuban regime regarding the detention and lack of release of political prisoners. The priest urges not to remain silent and to demand justice and freedom for those who have been imprisoned for expressing their desire for change and freedom in Cuba.
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