Pastor arrested in Cuba after uploading Bible lesson to YouTube

A Protestant pastor in Cuba has been arrested for allegedly posting a Bible lesson on to YouTube.

Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora was accosted by police mere moments after uploading the video in a park in Peñas Altas, Matanzas. Pastor Pérez Lora often used the park for recording and uploading videos to his channel, because it is one among the few places that has public wi-fi.

It is feasible that the police decided to take motion against Pastor Pérez Lora on this occasion attributable to ongoing civil unrest.

The arrest took place on 15 March. Cuba is currently experiencing a series of protests and riots, thanks partially to blackouts and shortages of food and medicine. The day before Pastor Pérez Lora was arrested, rioters set fire to the offices of the ruling Communist Party in the town of Moron.

A video of Pastor Pérez Lora’s arrest shows him being forced right into a automobile by police. In the video he says, “You’re mistreating me for no reason; I have never done anything flawed; this man is mistreating me.”

Although he was released after just a few hours, Pastor Pérez Lora told Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) that his ministry has long been affected by attempts at suppression by the federal government.

“In the East [of Cuba] we were at all times persecuted. It was very serious … I at all times made it clear I desired to serve all of the people, I shared as much as I could, nearly all of times all by myself and the authorities looked badly upon this work,” he said. 

“State Security in Las Tunas summoned me repeatedly, they harassed me, sending [police] patrols to my house … each time we went out to do a spiritual walk, to wish for the town, we were followed continually by the police … there are various stories … I do know that we are usually not alone, that there are various individuals who wish to help, especially on this moment when it’s so needed.”

Cuban legal sources also told CSW that the Cuban authorities had detained, or placed under effective house arrest, quite a lot of online influencers within the hopes of stifling spreading unrest and dissent.

Anna Lee Stangl, CSW’s director of advocacy, condemned Pastor Pérez Lora’s arrest and said he had been “clearly been targeted just because he shared his faith publicly and since of his influence in his community”.

“While we’re relieved that he was released inside hours, he never must have been detained in the primary place,” she said. 

“The authorities must immediately stop their harassment of him and all other religious leaders and others who’re simply searching for to deal with the urgent needs across the island.

“Members of the international community must also communicate, as a matter of urgency, to the Cuban Communist Party that its harassment and illegal detention of members of independent civil society exercising their basic right to freedom of expression must stop.”