"Cuba, your hope has a name: Jesus Christ!" affirm several young Christians, including the influencers Anna Bensi (Anna Sofía Benítez) and Iván Daniel Calás in a video recently published on social media.
After referencing the scarcity, violence, uncertainty, and other hardships afflicting the island, such as the lack of fuel and medicine, content creators rhetorically ask whether God has forgotten Cuba; immediately answering that it is we Cubans who have "forgotten God."
The reel has sparked conflicting opinions on social media, even among those who have previously shown solidarity with these young individuals in light of the repression they have suffered from Cuban police forces after posting their messages in support of freedom and prosperity for the country.
"Worthy of admiration... God is with you"; "Only God can save Cuba"; "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life"; "Excellent, guys, don't give up, this change is yours"; "What valuable young people, God bless you," were some of the hundreds of supportive comments found on the little over one-minute audiovisual on Anna Bensi's Facebook wall.
However, it also received criticism, some of which were harsh or out of place, while others were more analytical and reflective. “The issue is not their religion or any religion. The issue is that they advocate for a Cuba shaped by their beliefs, […] when true freedom lies in the establishment of a secular state that respects the religious freedoms of all,” opined journalist Mónica Baró on the wall of communicator Laura Vargas, who also shared the reel.
For the anthropologist and activist Jenny Pantoja Torres, Cuba requires a spiritual change to reverse the absurdity and misgovernance of the present; however, this change should not be affiliated with any specific religion, but rather embody the strength, belonging, and civic responsibility of each citizen.
Historian Alina Bárbara López, without directly addressing the message from the youth, published a text on her FB profile that also appears to refer to the topic in her usual measured tone. “If faith is a profoundly spiritual act, inherent to subjectivity, then it is in vain to attempt to create a common faith, let alone aspire for an entire nation to share a single God that a certain group considers the ‘true’ one among all deities,” argued López.
"When a political message about freedom is conveyed, but wrapped in a proselytizing and discriminatory purpose, the ultimate notion of freedom—the possibility to choose—is not being defended. Thus, the message fails," the essayist declared.
In the view of other forum members, the most important thing in this critical hour for Cuba is that differences in approaches, beliefs, and methods do not further divide the population or cause them to lose sight of the common goals of freedom, democracy, and prosperity, which are so urgently needed. This is the cause for which these courageous young Christians, along with many other activists, artists, and intellectuals, have spoken out.
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