Christians Urge Cuba To Free Detained Teen Amid Crackdown On Churches
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
HAVANA (Worthy News) – Christians have expressed concern over the detention of pastors and a Christian teenager by Cuba’s communist authorities in connection with Christian activities and rallies for greater freedom on the island.
Advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said the 16-year-old son of a pastor remains in custody after being detained with his father on March 16 in the city of Morón, in the central Cuban province of Ciego de Ávila.
Pastor Elier Muir Ávila, who leads the Tiempo de Cosecha Independent Church, was released hours after his arrest the same day, but his son Jonathan Muir Burgos remains detained over his alleged involvement in protests in Morón on March 13–14, CSW told Worthy News.
CSW said the detentions occurred amid growing unrest across Cuba, where protests have spread following days of nationwide blackouts and severe shortages of food and medicine.
In Morón, protesters reportedly looted and set fire to local Communist Party offices, while at least one person was reported shot. Authorities also shut down internet access in the area, apparently to limit the spread of information.
PROTESTS AND CRACKDOWN IN CENTRAL CUBA
Jonathan Muir Burgos has not been formally charged but was reportedly questioned about whether he called for “freedom” during the protests.
Rights advocates say the case resembles earlier arrests of Christian leaders and their relatives following the nationwide protests of July 11, 2021.
Reverend Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso of the Patmos Institute has warned that authorities frequently target pastors leading unregistered churches.
CSW told Worthy News that Cuban officials had previously warned Pastor Muir Ávila that only state-approved churches and recognized pastors are allowed to operate legally.
There are also concerns for Jonathan’s health, as he reportedly suffers from a serious medical condition.
ARRESTS EXPAND BEYOND MORÓN
Separately, police detained Evangelical pastor Rolando Pérez Lora in the Peñas Altas area of Matanzas province, western Cuba, on March 15 after he recorded and uploaded a Bible teaching video to his YouTube channel.
CSW said the pastor was arrested in a public park known for internet access, where he had just uploaded his weekly sermon.
Video footage shared online showed officers forcing him into a patrol vehicle as he protested his innocence, while his children could be heard crying nearby.
He was held for several hours at a police station before being released.
Pérez Lora later indicated that authorities had targeted him for years because of his ministry, including surveillance and repeated questioning.
PRESSURE ON INDEPENDENT CHURCHES
CSW told Worthy News that the arrests come amid a broader crackdown on independent religious activity, which authorities often view as a challenge to the ruling Communist Party.
Cuban law requires religious groups to register with the state, and unregistered churches frequently face harassment, restrictions, or detention of their leaders.
The latest incidents follow renewed unrest across the island, with activists reporting detentions, house arrests, and increased surveillance of government critics.
CSW’s Director of Advocacy, Anna Lee Stangl, called the detention of the teenager “unconscionable,” especially given his medical condition, and urged authorities to release him.
Cuba ranks 24th on the 2026 World Watch List compiled by advocacy group Open Doors, which tracks persecution of Christians worldwide. The country’s position reflects ongoing government control over religious life, surveillance of churches, and pressure on leaders of unregistered congregations, Open Doors explained.
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