The IX Bishop of Cuba of the Episcopal Church, Rev. Ángel Roberto Rivera Rodríguez, along with 21 clergy from the Diocese of Cuba, published a pastoral letter addressed to the Church and the Cuban people on Monday, in which they openly denounce the humanitarian crisis afflicting the island, express solidarity with Ana Bensi and her mother, Caridad Silvente Laffita, and demand an end to police repression against those exercising their right to free expression.
The document, dated October 4 and shared on the official website of the diocese and on social media, starkly describes the reality that Cubans face: "hunger, the lack of medications, unbearable blackouts, water shortages, and the near total deterioration of health and education systems."
The letter does not merely list abstract shortcomings, but translates them into concrete images: "the absence of bread on the table, in the sick without treatment, in the new generations without education, and in the mothers devoid of hope."
The statement comes three days after the Popular Municipal Court of Havana del Este found Ana Bensi and her mother, Caridad Silvente, guilty, sentencing them to two years of restricted liberty for recording and posting a video on social media of a MININT agent who arrived at their home in Alamar to deliver a summons from State Security.
The Episcopal Church thus joins a broad coalition of religious denominations that have already expressed their support for the case, including the Western Baptist Convention of Cuba, the Pentecostal Evangelical Church (Assemblies of God), the Evangelical League of Cuba, the Methodist Church of Cuba, the Alliance of Unregistered Cuban Churches, the Cuban Conference of Religious (CONCUR), and the Congregation "Servants of St. Joseph," among others.
Regarding police repression, the episcopal clergy was emphatic: "We also express our frustration and pain at the use of violence, intimidation, and harassment by the police forces against those who decide to raise their voices and demand their rights, especially when this right to free expression is protected by the Constitution of our Republic."
The text also issues a direct warning to the regime about silencing the youth: "Silencing the voices of the young is silencing the present and future of the homeland. In light of all this, we say: enough!!"
At the same time, the signatories take care to frame their position as a call for understanding: "Our reflection is a wake-up call to the authorities, with no intention of confrontation but rather of dialogue," the letter states, urging the government to listen to "the cry of this people, whom they are called to serve and protect, and not to continue demanding more sacrifices."
The document was sent in copy to the Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe, Presiding Bishop of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States, which gives the statement an international dimension.
This statement is part of a trend that has marked 2026: in January, the Conference of Catholic Bishops called for "urgent changes" and a "real dialogue" in light of the crisis; in March, over 70 evangelical leaders signed a declaration regarding "hunger, misery, and need"; and in September, Father Alberto Reyes Pías stated that Cuba is "infinitely worse" than during the Special Period.
The letter concludes with the commitment of the Episcopal clergy to stand with the people: "The Clergy of the Episcopal Church in Cuba is and will always be here to accompany and serve our people, with the faithfulness that the cross of the Lord demands."
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