Like its support for terrorism and constant oppression of the Cuban people, the communist Castro dictatorship has not stopped its persecution of the religious in Cuba. The faithful who dare to speak out continue to be harassed and imprisoned, earning the Cuban dictatorship its persistent spot on the U.S. blacklist of regimes who engage in religious persecution.
U.S. includes Cuba on its religious freedoms blacklist
The United States government once again included Cuba on its blacklist regarding religious freedoms, according to a statement published this Thursday and cited by the EFE news agency.
Also listed are Nicaragua, China, Russia, among other countries already included last year such as Burma, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
According to the report from Washington, the governments in these territories have “engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
The governments listed “must put an end to abuses such as attacks against members of minority religious communities and their places of worship, community violence, and prolonged imprisonment for peaceful expression.”
“The challenges to religious freedom worldwide are structural, systemic, and deeply entrenched,” adds the statement.
A second list of countries “under observation” was compiled by the State Department, which included Algeria, Vietnam, Comoros, the Central African Republic, and Azerbaijan, once again.
Similarly, the U,S. also kept various groups that have territorial control on the blacklist, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Houthis in Yemen, Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabaab in Somalia, ISL in Syria, and several groups affiliated with the Islamic State and Al Qaeda in Africa.
Unlike in 2023, the Wagner Group was removed from the list because since the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, it has been integrated into the Russian Armed Forces.
In Cuba, human rights are constantly violated by the Castro regime, including religious freedom.
Cuban pastor and journalist for CubaNet, Alejandro Hernández Cepero, reported at the end of last October the harassment by the State Security apparatus on the island. This was after he suffered arbitrary detention by the oppressive system to prevent his participation in a religious event.
Hernández Cepero said he was persistently summoned to the Fourth Police Unit. Once there, the agents confiscated his ID. “Technically, when they take away your ID, you are detained,” he pointed out.
According to the Cuban reporter, Lieutenant Colonel Reinaldo asserted that “the Conference on Religious Freedoms would not take place.” This event, planned for November 1, was the second of its kind to be held in Cuba.
The pastor denounced that regime agents threatened him with hours of detention if he dared to leave his house to participate in the Conference.
“Once again, my right to religious freedom is violated. He emphasized that we are illegal churches. I told him that they are not recognized by the Government, which is different,” highlighted Hernández Cepero.