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The recent visit to Cuba by a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC), led by its general secretary, Jerry Pillay, has sparked a wave of criticism among independent religious leaders and advocates for religious freedom, who claim that the trip was used by the regime as a tool for political legitimization.
Pillay described the accusations of violations of religious freedom in Cuba as "unfounded" and accused the United States of using that argument "to justify its actions" against the island, a stance that has triggered strong opposition among Christian leaders outside official structures.
During the visit -which took place on the island between March 28 and 31, in the context of the Easter celebrations- the group held meetings with Cuban authorities, including Miguel Díaz-Canel, who requested that they “share this reality with 600 million Christians” in over a hundred countries.
However, for many Christian leaders outside the official structures, the outcome was the opposite.
"A platform for political propaganda"
According to statements gathered by Martí Noticias, independent pastors believe that the visit was manipulated by the Cuban government.
The Reverend Mario Félix Lleonart, a Baptist pastor exiled in the United States and director of the Patmos Institute, stated that the context of the country was deliberately ignored.
"Amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Cuba, caused by the failure of the regime's economic and political model, the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel has used this visit to politically manipulate international church leaders," he said.
In his opinion, the delegation not only refrained from questioning the government but ultimately reinforced its narrative.
"The delegation has been received with official honors, has participated in public events controlled by the State, and has issued statements that effectively legitimize a government that systematically violates human rights and religious freedom," he asserted.
Lleonart went further by questioning the historical role of the ecumenical body: “The World Council of Churches was born to be the voice of the oppressed, not the echo of the oppressors.”
Persistent restrictions on religious freedom
Beyond the specific incident, religious leaders in Cuba reported to the aforementioned media that state control over churches remains extensive and systematic.
The pastor Eduardo Otero, from the Cuban Christian Community Campo Amor, outlined several limitations.
"We are not allowed to build new temples; that is prohibited, nor can we establish places for fraternal gatherings, except in a few cases," he recounted.
He also pointed out restrictions on the use of public spaces and media: “The use of mass media is extremely restricted, non-existent.”
It also reported legal obstacles to the institutional development of churches: “The church cannot acquire private properties for the use of its services. It cannot create schools for national education. That is completely prohibited.”
Although he acknowledged some changes compared to previous decades—such as the possibility of gathering in homes or engaging in social work—he insisted that state control continues to set the boundaries for religious activity.
Surveillance, harassment, and criminalization
Other testimonies collected by the aforementioned source point to a pattern of surveillance and repression against religious communities that are not aligned with the State.
The pastor Jorge Luis Pérez, from the Rehobot Ministry in Santiago de Cuba, reported that thousands of independent ministries are under constant pressure.
"Pastors are harassed, uncontrolled activities are prohibited, and international institutions are used to legitimize a system that systematically violates human rights," he explained, adding that the regime has used the Council of Churches of Cuba for decades as a mechanism to control unofficial religious denominations.
Pérez also recounted personal experiences of harassment following the release of one of his videos: “They summoned me to State Security as if it were a crime to say ‘Cuba libre’.”
Religious prisoners and repression after July 11th
The reports also include the situation of believers imprisoned for political reasons or related to their faith.
Lleonart recalled that Díaz-Canel's regime continues to imprison hundreds of political prisoners, including active members of various faiths.
Among the mentioned cases is that of 16-year-old Jonathan David Muir Burgos, the son of a pastor, who was arrested after participating in a recent demonstration in Morón.
The imprisonments of Yoruba leader Loreto Hernández and pastor Lorenzo Rosales are also mentioned, both linked to the protests of July 11, 2021.
Call for international condemnation
In light of this situation, independent religious leaders urged the World Council of Churches to take a stronger stance.
Among their demands are the public condemnation of violations of religious freedom, the release of political prisoners, and the recognition of churches operating outside the Council of Churches of Cuba.
"Cuban Christians do not ask for applause or photos. We ask for consistency with the Gospel. Silence in the face of tyranny is not ecumenism; it is complicity," they conclude.
The criticisms reflect a growing divide between state-recognized churches and independent religious movements, which assert that, despite the official rhetoric, freedom of worship in Cuba remains severely restricted.
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