Christian youth leaders both on the island and in exile joined this Saturday for the event “In Prayer for Cuba”, a collective call for the spiritual freedom of the nation taking place amidst an escalation of repression against evangelical religious leaders.
Among the driving forces behind the initiative are Anna Bensi (Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente), David Espinosa, the pastor Rolando Fidel Pérez, known as the Herald of Christ, Alfredito Fominaya, and Anthony Martínez, reported Martí Noticias.
On the same day of the call, Espinosa reported the presence of a police motorcycle and other people watching the surroundings of his home, after his daughter left to attend a church activity.
"We made a call to pray, and it seems they are scared," the activist stated in an audio message to Martí Noticias, in which he recounted what happened and affirmed that he would remain in prayer from his home.
Surveillance comes as no surprise given the recent history: Espinosa was detained on October 1 while attempting to attend the trial against Anna Bensi and her mother Caridad Silvente at the People's Municipal Court of Cojímar, and days later, ETECSA selectively blocked his phone line for approximately three days.
The same judicial process, in which the regime found Anna Bensi and her mother guilty and sentenced them to two years of limited freedom, drew a crowd of believers outside the court with prayers and songs, in a scene that journalist and writer Yoe Suárez described as an expression of a broader phenomenon.
"I believe that the most important thing is the cultural shift that is taking place, where churches and this conservative libertarian leadership in some cases are bringing those ideas, which were previously marginalized in the public sphere, back onto the public agenda," Suárez stated to Martí Noticias.
The journalist also emphasized the movement's ability to mobilize: "They are bringing together a lot of people. We know that the regime is pursuing them. This level of participation is incredible; the regime is not happy."
The event this Saturday is immediately triggered by the detention of Pastor Maikel Pupo Velázquez in Camagüey, which occurred at the end of September after he called on Cuban churches to hold a public prayer for Cuba and was accused of "disobedience".
The organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) requested international support for its case and documented, in a report published in July, 667 cases of violations of religious freedom in Cuba between January 2025 and June 2026, including 94 "warning notices" against religious leaders.
The pastor Anisley Ortiz, wife of Pupo Velázquez and a member of the Alliance of Christians of Cuba, demanded his immediate release and issued a broader call: "We call on the national and international community to remain vigilant regarding this situation and to urge the Cuban government to respect fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of religion and conscience."
The Alliance of Christians in Cuba recorded 996 repressive actions against religious leaders just in 2024, a figure that highlights the extent of the pressure the regime exerts on faith communities, more than 80% of which lack official state recognition.
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