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Cuban independent journalist Yoel Suárez with his wife and son.

Into Exile: Yoel Suárez

Posted on 12/07/202313/07/2023 by cswpress in Cuba, Into Exile, Latin America

It is believed that more than 300,000 people have fled Cuba since nationwide protests swept the country on 11 July 2021. Many of them are religious leaders, journalists, human rights defenders and others who were given no choice but to leave the island under intense pressure from the Cuban government. CSW’s Into Exile series tells some of their stories.

Yoel Suárez is an independent journalist who has written extensively about human rights and freedom of religion or belief issues in Cuba. He has worked with non-state media outlets on the island since 2014.

Unsurprisingly, his work has provoked the regular ire of the Cuban government, which has subjected Mr Suárez and his family to years of harassment, fines, travel bans and threats, including the threat of the government taking custody of his young son.

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Al Exilio: Yoel Suárez

Posted on 12/07/202313/07/2023 by cswpress in Al Exilio, Cuba ES, español, Latin America ES

Se cree que más de 300.000 personas han huido de Cuba desde que las protestas a nivel nacional arrasaron el país el 11 de julio de 2021. Muchos de ellos son líderes religiosos, periodistas, defensores de los derechos humanos y otras personas que no tuvieron más opción que abandonar la isla bajo la intensa presión de el gobierno cubano. La serie Al Exilio de CSW cuenta algunas de sus historias.

Yoel Suárez es un periodista independiente que ha escrito extensamente sobre temas de derechos humanos y libertad de religión o creencias en Cuba. Ha trabajado con medios de comunicación no estatales en la isla desde 2014.

Como era de esperarse, su trabajo provocó la ira habitual del gobierno cubano, que sometió al Sr. Suárez y su familia a años de hostigamiento, multas, prohibiciones de viaje y amenazas, incluida la amenaza de que el gobierno se haga cargo de la custodia de su hijo pequeño.

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Cuban pastor Enrique de Jesús Fundora and his wife.

Into Exile: Enrique de Jesús Fundora

Posted on 11/07/202313/07/2023 by cswpress in Cuba, Into Exile, Latin America

It is believed that more than 300,000 people have fled Cuba since nationwide protests swept the country on 11 July 2021. Many of them are religious leaders, journalists, human rights defenders and others who were given no choice but to leave the island under intense pressure from the government. CSW’s Into Exile series tells some of their stories.

In 2017, 26-year-old Pastor Enrique de Jesús Fundora and his wife established a ministry they named God Shakes Cuba and the Nations a part of the Apostolic and Prophetic Movement. This immediately made them a target of the government and cost Pastor Fundora his job as a chef in a private restaurant.

In July 2021 Pastor Fundora began to open ‘houses of prayer’ where he met with the relatives of people imprisoned because of their involvement in the 11 July protests, to pray for them and comfort them. In January 2022 Fundora was summoned by State Security, Cuba’s intelligence agency. He was interrogated and accused of holding conspiratorial meetings and of buying water and distributing it to those who had participated in the protests.

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Al Exilio: Enrique de Jesús Fundora

Posted on 11/07/202313/07/2023 by cswpress in Al Exilio, Cuba ES, español, Latin America ES

Se cree que más de 300.000 personas han huido de Cuba desde que las protestas a nivel nacional arrasaron el país el 11 de julio de 2021. Muchos de ellos son líderes religiosos, periodistas, defensores de los derechos humanos y otras personas que no tuvieron más opción que abandonar la isla bajo la intensa presión de el Partido Comunista de Cuba. La serie Al Exilio de CSW cuenta algunas de sus historias.

En 2017, el pastor Enrique de Jesús Fundora, de 26 años, y su esposa establecieron un ministerio al que llamaron ‘Dios sacude a Cuba y las Naciones’ como parte del Movimiento Apostólico y Profético. Esto inmediatamente los convirtió en un objetivo del gobierno y le costó al pastor Fundora su trabajo como chef en un restaurante privado.

En julio de 2021, el pastor Fundora comenzó a abrir ‘casas de oración’ donde se reunía con familiares de personas encarceladas por su participación en las protestas del 11 de julio, para orar por ellos y consolarlos. En enero de 2022 Fundora fue citado por la Seguridad del Estado, el organismo de inteligencia de Cuba. Fue interrogado y acusado de realizar reuniones conspirativas y de comprar agua y distribuirla a quienes habían participado en las protestas.

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Why are Cuba’s religious leaders going into exile?

Posted on 10/07/202313/07/2023 by cswpress in Cuba, Into Exile, Latin America

Following the peaceful protests of 11 July 2021, many Cuban religious leaders and members of communities of faith have joined the largest ongoing wave of emigration since the start of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

The Cuban government requires that all religious groups and associations obtain legal registration from the Ministry of Justice, but make it almost impossible for them to do so. Since the Revolution, the government has granted legal status to only a handful of groups, and has stripped some, which had a legally recognised presence on the island prior to 1959 of their legal status. As a result, the vast majority of religious groups that did not have a legal presence on the island before 1959 exist outside the law, automatically making them targets of discrimination and harassment.

Over the past two years, Cuba has sent hundreds of dissidents to prison, where for those who hold religious beliefs, their faith often is used by prison guards as a pressure point. The government regularly violates the Nelson Mandela Rules, refusing to allow political prisoners to received religious visits, possess religious materials or participate in religious services inside the prisons. Political prisoners’ religious faith is regularly, publicly ridiculed. Among the growing number of political prisoners are leaders of unregistered religious groups.

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