by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – A Cuban pastor disappeared under mysterious circumstances this month, adding to growing international concern over religious repression on the island. Pastor Maikel Pupu Velázquez vanished shortly after delivering epilepsy medication to a family connected to Cuba’s dissident movement, only to reappear hours later clearly traumatized and mentally distressed.
Velázquez had brought the medicine to the granddaughter of Marta Perdomo Benites, whose sons are currently imprisoned for participating in the peaceful July 11, 2021, protests in San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque. Following the delivery, Velázquez was abruptly denied entry into the home and vanished moments after ending a call with a fellow pastor. His phone was immediately shut off, cutting all communication.
Pastors from the Alliance of Christians of Cuba (ACC) launched an urgent search, scouring hospitals, police stations, and detention centers. Fourteen hours later, around 2 a.m. on July 10, Pastor Velázquez was found outside his home, visibly shaken, disoriented, and erratic — alternating between silence and bursts of shouting. He refused to speak about what had occurred, but sources within the ACC believe he was abducted, interrogated, and threatened by Cuban authorities for his connections to both the Christian community and families of political prisoners.
His case follows a troubling trend. Just months earlier, on May 20, authorities forced the 18-year-old son of Pastors Luis Guillermo Borjas and Roxana Rojas to complete mandatory military service despite serious medical and psychological conditions. When the young man fled the military base, his parents were summoned to a tribunal. After presenting valid medical exemption documentation, Pastor Borjas warned the military court that God would judge them — a statement that led to the couple’s immediate arrest for “disrespect” and “disobedience” due to the illegality of invoking God in military court. Their son remains detained in Guayao Maximum Security Prison while their trial continues to be delayed.
Cuba currently ranks 22nd on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. Once known for its vibrant missionary legacy and underground house church movements, Christianity in Cuba has been increasingly targeted by the communist regime, especially when believers speak out on social justice, civil rights, or governmental abuses. Pastors who refuse to align with state-approved denominations face surveillance, arrest, loss of employment, and public defamation.
Despite this, Christianity has grown rapidly across Latin America and the Caribbean over the past 50 years. In Cuba, evangelical and Pentecostal churches in particular have flourished in house church networks and informal gatherings, fueling a quiet revival despite legal obstacles. Globally, the number of Christians has risen from approximately 1.2 billion in 1975 to more than 2.6 billion today. Yet persecution has intensified alongside this growth, with more than 380 million Christians facing high levels of discrimination and violence according to the latest Open Doors report.
As authoritarian regimes clamp down on religious freedom, Cuba has increasingly mirrored patterns seen in countries like China and Iran — where religious leaders who stand outside the state’s control often face intimidation, arrest, and abuse. Advocates for religious freedom are urging the international community to pressure Havana to stop harassing pastors and imprisoning believers for their faith and conscience.
Velázquez has not spoken publicly since the incident. His fellow pastors continue to monitor his safety and call for accountability. One church leader from the ACC remarked, “The message is clear: preach the gospel, but don’t get involved. But we cannot separate the hope of Christ from the cry for justice. The Church must not be silent.”
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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