Formerly imprisoned pastor forced to remain in Cuba

Photo from Christian Solidarity Worldwide

Confined to a country where the government has made it well known his presence is unwanted, a Cuban pastor and his family have been refused permission to leave despite the U.S. government's offer of asylum, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

Pastor Omar Gude Perez served almost three years of a six-and-a-half year prison sentence on charges human rights watchers say were unjust. While he was in prison, his wife Kenia and their two children received an eviction notice from government officials in an attempt to remove the family from their home (for more information, click here).

The family was granted asylum in the United States last July but have been informed by a government official that they will not be issued exit visas, which are required to leave the country.

Pastor Omar, who is a national leader in a fast-growing network of independent churches called the Apostolic Movement, was released from prison earlier this year but is prohibited from preaching or from travelling outside the city of Camaguey.

He was charged with illicit economic activity and falsification of documents, and many say the unfounded charges are a direct result of his Christian activities. Other Apostolic Movement pastors have also been harassed and threatened with imprisonment and the closure of their churches.

Please join us in praying.

• Please pray that Pastor Omar and his family will continue to faithfully serve Christ wherever He leads them.
• Pray that, if it is the Lord's will, they will be able to leave Cuba for the United States.
• Please pray that governing authorities in Cuba will cease in their harassment of Christian leaders and that followers of Christ will remain steadfast in their faith.

To learn more about persecution in Cuba, visit our Cuba Country Report.

Update: Formerly imprisoned Cuban pastor settles in United States

An old photo of Pastor Carlos
and his family.

A formerly imprisoned Cuban pastor recently arrived in the United States as a political refugee along with his wife and daughters, reports VOM USA and Compass Direct News.

In February 2006, Cuban authorities raided the home of Pastor Carlos Lamelas and arrested him on charges of aiding emigrants who sought to leave the country illegally. Pastor Carlos was later accused of being involved in human trafficking.

Those acquainted with Pastor Carlos denied that he was ever involved in such activities and believed he was being targeted for opposing the Cuban regime on religious rights issues. Carlos suffered in prison without charges until he was suddenly given a conditional release in June 2006. He was later fined, however, on charges of “falsifying documents.”

Unable to find employment and fearing another arrest, Carlos applied unsuccessfully for political asylum in 2010. In 2011, however, his case was reviewed, and he and his family were granted status as political refugees.

“For our part, we have been open to the will of God, and we know he will take us where we can best serve him,” Pastor Carlos shared.

During Pastor Carlos's imprisonment, hundreds of Christians wrote him letters of encouragement, many through The Voice of the Martyrs' letter writing site, www.PrisonerAlert.com.

“We know that many brothers and sisters have collaborated for our benefit; we're sorry not to know specifically who they are,” said Pastor Carlos. “Nevertheless, we want them to know that our love and gratitude is sealed in our hearts for the rest of our lives.”

To get involved in writing letters to prisoners of faith, visit www.PrisonerAlert.com. You can also download a free guide with pointers and prisoner addresses at www.persecution.net/write.htm.

Pastor and believers detained in Cuba

Cuba is a popular vacation spot, but behind the
hotels lies a government hostile to Christians.

Pastor Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso and his wife, Yoaxis, along with 21 others were detained and kept from attending a church service on June 26, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

The group was picked up by police at around 10 a.m. and released five hours later, after the service had finished.

The service was being held in support of Pastor Yordi Toranzo, who was ousted from his position for refusing to deny pastoral support to human rights activists and members of the political opposition.

The order for his expulsion came from Methodist Bishop Ricardo Pereira Dias, who church authorities generally believe was pressured by the government. There have been reports of similar pressures on other church leaders as well.

Authorities have been detaining pastors for only short periods of time – a tactic CSW believes is used to deflect international attention away from governmental interference.

In 1992, Cuba officially became a “secular” state that formally guarantees freedom of religion. However, full freedom is not experienced by many minorities. Authorities continue to pressure Christian believers through coercion and intimidation.

Pray for Cuba:

• Pray that the Church in Cuba will continue to reach out with the news of God's grace, despite the opposition from the government.
• Pray that freedom of religion will truly become a reality in Cuba.

Cuban church leader denounces persecution

Pray for religious liberty in Cuba.

A respected Baptist pastor in Cuba has published an open letter denouncing government persecution targeting him and his church, reported Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) today.

Pastor Homero Carbonell, long-time leader of La Trinidad First Baptist Church in Santa Clara, and a high-level denominational leader, says he has been forced to retire due to prolonged government pressure and threats made against his church.

The 12-page letter, sent by Pastor Carbonell to CSW, gives details of the Religious Affairs Office’s treatment of Pastor Carbonell and his church over the past three years. Spurious accusations against Pastor Carbonell, including allegations that he is associated with the counterrevolution and is tied to unspecified “illegalities” culminated in a series of penalties being applied to his church. While Pastor Carbonell finally stepped down from his role as leader of the church in October 2010, the sanctions have not been lifted.

Numerous requests for clarification on the part of church leaders went unanswered and a series of meetings with officials from the Religious Affairs Office, headed by Caridad Diego, failed to rectify the situation. In one meeting, government officials concluded the meeting by telling Pastor Carbonell to behave himself.

In the open letter, Pastor Carbonell echoes calls by other religious leaders in Cuba for legislation regulating religious practice. Such a law “would not only regulate believers, but would also regulate the government, and would give believers a legal instrument to deal with any legal dispute to support their claims and not leave them subject to political decisions emanating from groups in power, who can take coercive, wrong, or privileged decisions in matters of conscience.”

The government’s focus on Pastor Carbonell and his church appears to be driven by the church’s consistent refusal to expel family members of political prisoners and members of the human rights or pro-democracy groups from the congregation. The Cuban government has long heavily pressured church leaders of all denominations to shun anyone linked to human rights or pro-democracy activism.

Pastor Carbonell’s experience is in line with the conclusions by a 2010 CSW report which found that while overt forms of persecution such as the destruction of unauthorized churches had diminished somewhat, government pressure on individual church leaders had reached unprecedented levels. One church leader told CSW that government persecution had not been as subtle or as effective since the 1980s.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “We are deeply concerned and stand in solidarity with Pastor Carbonell and the entire La Trinidad Baptist Church. While the Cuban government has implemented some economic reforms over the past year, there appears to be little official will to consider reforms that would protect basic human rights like religious freedom. It is troubling that the situation for many church leaders across the island appears to be growing steadily worse. We call on the Cuban government to cease its harassment of Pastor Carbonell and his family, to remove the sanctions against La Trinidad First Baptist Church, and back his call for new legislation that would establish clear legal parameters and recourse for appeal regarding all religious activity.”