This group of people of faith promotes knowledge of human rights, especially freedom of expression and religion, attention to the impoverished population and prisoners, both political and common.
Since its founding in 2022, there has been pressure from State Security on some pastors not to participate in the initiative, which is mostly made up of church leaders that the regime refuses to register. Bishop Isael Cagidez, of the Estrella de Belén church, was arrested the day before the first meeting of the Alliance, which brought together some 60 evangelical leaders from the island. He was threatened and pressured not to participate.
The organization of the meetings takes place as in ancient Rome, in the catacombs. The house of some Christian serves the meeting. The leaders move discreetly towards a city.
Pastor Enrique de Jesús Fundora is one of the coordinators of the new independent organization. He himself had to go into exile for his civic stance against the mass incarcerations following the demonstrations of July 11, 2021.
Now in Switzerland, he is pastoring the foreign community of a Reformed church, while his complaints reach the headquarters of human rights organizations.
The first meeting of the Alliance in 2023 left direct statements: “We commit to be governed by the principles of justice, truth, rectitude and freedom of conscience; mutually recognizing our rights as citizens of Cuba. We commit to work to heal the wounds of our hungry, divided nation, spurred on by an inadequate social project and its aftermath of uncertainty and domination. (…) We work to advocate for greater political, economic and social freedoms, so that all Cubans can live with dignity and self-determination.”
– When and why was the Alliance of Christians of Cuba born?
The Alliance of Christians of Cuba was founded on November 18, 2022 in the city of Victoria de Las Tunas, as a result of the urgent need of religious leaders to join forces in the face of the wave of persecution that believers suffer from the authorities.
This was the way these pastors found to articulate their voice in the face of civil protests demanding freedom and improvements in the economic system from the government. These protests confronted religious leaders with the reality of repression and they had to position themselves against the imprisonment and harassment of many of the members of their congregations who had participated in the demonstrations.
And when they tried to defend their parishioners before the Cuban authorities, they themselves became targets of the political police.
This led them to feel the need to support each other and adopt common positions that would help them achieve political influence, especially by lobbying international human rights mechanisms. At the same time, they found ways to manage support for victims of human rights violations.
– Who are its members? How is it structured?
The Alliance is made up of pastors and ministry leaders (church networks) who feel unprotected by the law, either because the socialist state refuses to register them, to draft a legal framework that would allow them to be “legalized,” or pastors of registered churches who feel legally abandoned in the fight to defend the human rights of their parishioners and the Cuban people in general.
Although the majority of the Alliance’s members are pastors whose churches are considered illegal by the government, there are also several members who belong to registered denominations, and who have made the decision to raise their voices in defense of the Cuban people, despite the fact that their own denominations have chosen not to speak out or act publicly against Castro’s atrocities.
These pastors are members in their personal capacity and do not represent their denominations. They only represent their congregations. The structure of the Alliance includes an International Representative and a Council of Leaders made up of ten pastors who meet to make joint decisions.
There is no such director within Cuba, because he would be repressed and harassed by the political police if the full structural weight of the Alliance fell on that person.
– What has been the response from registered institutions?
Many pastors who are members of these denominations have joined because, as I said, they understand the need to defend the human rights of their parishioners and of the Cuban people in general.
– What is the official approach of the Alliance regarding the situation in the country?
The Alliance has a clear position regarding the current situation in Cuba and blames the government for the situation faced by the Cuban population. The Alliance’s position is that the lack of fundamental freedoms enshrined in the International Bill of Human Rights is the cause of the economic and social problems facing the country today.
– Have you been intimidated because of your work?
All pastors publicly registered with the Alliance have received direct threats from the political police and in some cases direct harm has been done. Many leaders have become victims of human rights violations.
The political police have tried to dissolve the Alliance and have punished self-employed workers who, in one way or another, have provided us with logistical services, in an attempt to prevent the meetings from taking place.
Some leaders have also been pressured in their own congregations for speaking out in favour of fundamental freedoms. The fear is great.
– In Cuban history, other similar initiatives such as Pastors for Change, from 2012, have diminished their social impact due to repression. Do you think that could be the fate of the Alliance?
No. The Alliance does not have a specific leader and its board is a Council, which allows police repression not to be concentrated on a key figure who could destabilize the organization.
If a member of the Council is imprisoned or decides to resign due to pressure, another member would be elected in his place without affecting the functioning of the organization. And the international representative of the Alliance, who is the public face, is beyond the reach of the Cuban government’s repression.
