As Cuba faces mounting unrest fueled by blackouts, shortages, and economic collapse, authorities have detained an evangelical pastor after he recorded himself reading the Bible and posting the video online. The arrest is the latest sign of the Cuban Communist government’s tightening grip as protests spread across the island.
Pastor Detained After Uploading Bible Teaching
Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora was arrested on March 15 in the province of Matanzas after filming a short Bible teaching and uploading it to his YouTube channel, “Pregonero de Cristo” (“Christ’s Herald”). According to reports, he had gone to a public park where residents often gather to access Wi-Fi so he could upload the video.
Shortly after finishing the upload, police officers approached him and detained him, pushing him toward a patrol vehicle while his wife recorded the incident on her phone. Video of the arrest circulated widely online, showing officers forcing the pastor into the car while he protested that he had “done nothing wrong.”
His wife, Gelayne Rodríguez Ávila, said the pastor was simply filming a weekly Bible message. During the recording, locals often stop to listen and sometimes ask the couple for prayer.
Arrest Comes Amid Rising Unrest
The detention comes as tensions in Cuba continue to rise. Across the island, protests have erupted after repeated power outages and worsening shortages of food and medicine. In one incident in the city of Morón, demonstrators reportedly attacked and set fire to a Communist Party office during a night of unrest.
Authorities responded by cutting internet access in parts of the country and detaining activists and online commentators. Some were reportedly placed under house arrest as the government sought to limit the spread of protest footage and commentary on social media.
A Pattern of Pressure on Churches
Pastor Pérez Lora says this is not the first time Cuban authorities have targeted him. According to reports, security officials have repeatedly summoned him for questioning and monitored the activities of his church since he became a pastor in 2011.
Religious leaders and human-rights advocates say such harassment reflects a broader pattern in Cuba, where the Communist government closely monitors religious organizations and dissident voices. In previous cases, pastors and activists have been imprisoned for participating in protests or criticizing the government.
A Symbol of a Larger Struggle
Although Pérez Lora was reportedly released after several hours in custody, the incident has become symbolic of the tension between Cuba’s communist government and citizens demanding more freedom.
For many critics of the regime, the image of a pastor detained after reading the Bible online highlights the deeper conflict unfolding across the island: a government struggling to maintain control as economic hardship and public frustration grow.