A Christian pastor from the municipality of Minas, in the province of Camagüey, reported that Cuban authorities prohibited his church from taking to the streets to distribute breakfasts to the elderly and the sick, forcing beneficiaries to travel to the temple to receive assistance.
Juan Carlos Dobal Rodríguez published the complaint on his Facebook profile, where he explained that the project "A Breakfast with Jesus" is still ongoing, but under conditions imposed by the State that contradict its original purpose.
"The elders of the Home had to leave their residence this time to participate in this breakfast with Jesus. Many sick individuals had to travel several blocks to reach us, as we were prevented from going out into the streets as we had done all this past time," wrote the pastor.
The initiative involved walking through the streets of Minas to deliver breakfasts and the Christian message to vulnerable individuals: the elderly, the sick, and neighbors in need.
Now, at the behest of the authorities, it must take place inside the church on Tuesdays at 8:30 in the morning.
"Not because they are our methods, but because we are prevented as a church from carrying out our calling and work outside the temple, which is where all these people who need a breakfast and, above all, the love of God are found," clarified Dobal Rodríguez.
The photographs accompanying the publication show volunteers in religious t-shirts serving drinks and bread to groups of elderly people under zinc roofs. The t-shirts bear the biblical quote from Matthew 25: "For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in."
The case adds to a documented pattern of religious restrictions in Cuba. According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the regime's Office of Religious Affairs requires state authorization for activities beyond regular worship, including social assistance efforts in public spaces.
In 2026 so far, restrictions have intensified. In April, Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora was arrested for praying in a public space, and that same month, there were reports of the presence of undercover State Security agents during a Good Friday pilgrimage in Havana. In June, a pastor was detained in Cabaiguán after a peaceful religious demonstration.
The Alliance of Christians in Cuba documented nearly a thousand violations of religious freedom during 2024, a figure that reflects the extent of control the regime exerts over faith communities.
In parallel, Cuban churches have taken on an increasingly significant role in humanitarian assistance amidst the economic crisis. In June, Cáritas Camagüey opened a soup kitchen for homeless individuals in the provincial capital, an effort that contrasts with the obstacles imposed by the State on those attempting to carry out similar activities outside their premises.
Pastor Dobal Rodrigues concluded his publication with a reflection aimed at those who question the role of the church in the Cuban crisis: "The church in Cuba is so intertwined with this people that it cannot be seen superficially." He expressed his hope to resume street work: "We pray to God that once again we can walk the streets of Minas, bringing a breakfast with Jesus to this community."
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