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, as it is one of the few places that has public wi-fi.
It is possible that the police decided to take action against Pastor Pérez Lora on this occasion due to ongoing civil unrest.
The arrest took place on 15 March. Cuba is currently experiencing a series of protests and riots, thanks in part 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 city of Moron.
A video of Pastor Pérez Lora’s arrest shows him being forced into a car by police. In the video he says, “You're mistreating me for no reason; I haven't done anything wrong; this man is mistreating me.”
Although he was released after a few hours, Pastor Pérez Lora told Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) that his ministry has long been plagued by attempts at suppression by the government.
“In the East [of Cuba] we were always persecuted. It was very serious ... I always made it clear I wanted to serve all the people, I shared as much as I could, the majority of times all by myself and the authorities looked badly upon this work," he said.
“State Security in Las Tunas summoned me many times, they harassed me, sending [police] patrols to my house ... every time we went out to do a spiritual walk, to pray for the town, we were followed constantly by the police ... there are many stories ... I know that we are not alone, that there are many people who want to help, especially in this moment when it is so needed.”
Cuban legal sources also told CSW that the Cuban authorities had detained, or placed under effective house arrest, a number of online influencers in 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 simply because he shared his faith publicly and because of his influence in his community".
"While we are relieved that he was released within hours, he never should have been detained in the first place," she said.
“The authorities must immediately cease their harassment of him and all other religious leaders and others who are simply seeking to address 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.”
