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The Cuban Freemasonry elected Manuel Valdés as the new Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Cuba, in a day marked by internal tensions and warnings about possible external interference, according to messages shared by the mason and dissident Ángel Santiesteban-Prats.
In the communications, the Freemasons celebrate the departure of the previous leadership and announce that the session will continue to formalize the subsequent steps, while they request that the authorities acknowledge the result.
According to reports, government officials who met with lodges in various provinces in the days prior have assured that they would respect whatever happens in the Grand Lodge, a commitment that the Freemasons demand to be upheld.
The statements remind us that on previous occasions —after the imposition of Urquía— the decisions of the Masonic Chamber were not recognized, which sparked the dispute that led to the election of Valdés.
The context was described as an “unprecedented struggle” within the institution.
They claim that the former leader, Filema, attempted to open the Chamber without the presence of the lodges that were suspended after voting for their removal from office, and that the majority is demanding a process that includes all representatives.
In parallel, they point out that State Security would monitor the surroundings of the headquarters and the homes of some members, leading to fears of interventions or arrests if the masons "impose democracy."
Communications indicate that if the election is not validated, the conflict would escalate into an "international battle" within the Masonic realm.
"The intention is to weaken the masons and their poor economy, those who have come to Havana from the farthest corners of the country, in order to wear them out," denounced Santiesteban-Prats.
The election of Manuel Valdés thus emerges as a turning point for the Grand Lodge of Cuba: its promoters celebrate it as a step towards a “second independence” of masonry from external interference in the institution, and as a return to statutory normality.
In the absence of detailed official statements, the Freemasons themselves are calling for respect for what has been decided, the opening of the Chamber with all the lodges, and an unequivocal validation of the new Grand Master, whom they are already congratulating in the internal channels.
Cuban Freemasonry, hit in 2024 by the corruption scandal involving former Grand Master Mario Urquía Carreño, is currently experiencing a significant crisis.
The scandal has generated a reputation crisis within Cuban Freemasonry, exacerbated by the regime's interference in its internal affairs.
The Grand Lodge of Cuba faces public discredit and internal division, along with government intervention that has been perceived as an attempt to control the institution.
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