Cuba continues to confiscate and demolish churches

Jardine Malado Thursday, August 25, 2016

Violations of religious freedom in Cuba had increased between January and July 2016, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). The religious freedom advocacy group documented a total of 1,606 cases of violations that included demolition and destruction of Church buildings, destruction of Church property, arbitrary detention and seizure of property of religious leaders.

Church of the Holy Trinity, Trinidad, Cuba | Wikimedia Commons/Dieter Mueller

The report by CSW noted that there are over 1,000 illegal Protestant churches that are still under the threat of confiscation. CSW stated that the strategy of the government before a church demolition is to block the main roads surrounding the church. Pastors and their family members are then be dragged out of bed very early in the morning to detain them for the duration of the demolition.

The report pointed to a case on Jan. 8 when 40 Church members were detained to prevent protests. Another case mentioned was an incident on Feb. 5 in Santiago de Cuba when state security agents detained 40 Church leaders and community members in a local school. Bulldozers were used afterwards to destroy the churches. The demolition in Santiago also destroyed the pastor's family home, according to the report.

CSW made recommendations to the government of Cuba as well as the United States and the European Union in an effort to stop violations of religious freedom. The organization called on the E.U. to urge Cuban officials to legalize all churches and requested the U.S. to raise violations of freedom of religion with Cuba "at every opportunity."

In particular, the group called on Cuba to reform Legal Decree 322, a law meant to regulate private property. CSW reported that it was a tactic used by the government to confiscate church property.

CBN reported in March that Cuba's crackdown against political dissidents had only increased since President Barack Obama normalized relations with the country in 2014.

Dr. Jaime Suchlicki, director of Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the Miami College of Arts and Sciences, told CBN that President Raul Castro fears that openness with the U.S. might embolden dissidents. Suchlicki said that Castro's need to maintain control will most likely overpower the need to improve the state of human rights in Cuba.