Cuba: Situation of Seventh Day Adventists (update to CUB22465.E of 16 February 1996)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 8 December 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CUB35995.E |
| Reference | 7 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Cuba: Situation of Seventh Day Adventists (update to CUB22465.E of 16 February 1996), 8 December 2000, CUB35995.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be2720.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Various reports describe a gradual increase in openess of religious activity in Cuba, albeit with restrictions. Human Rights Watch, for example, reports that " while Cuba permits greater opportunities for religious expression than it did in past years, and has allowed several religious-run humanitarian groups to operate, the government still maintains tight control on religious institutions, affiliated groups, and individual believers" (HRW June 1999, Chapter I).
The Seventh Day Adventist Church is reported by various sources as to be one of the largest Protestant churches in Cuba. A 1997 report on religion in Cuba states that some 200,000 persons belonged to the four largest Protestant denominations: Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal and Adventist (El Nuevo Herald 1 Oct. 1997). The U.S. Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 2000 provides detailed information on existing freedoms and restrictions on religious groups in Cuba in general, although its only reference to Adventists states:
No figures on the number of Pentecostals are available, although the Seventh-Day Adventists have said that their membership numbers are around 30,000 persons. Church attendance has grown in recent years in some denominations, and has increased substantially at Catholic Church services in the wake of the Pope's visit in January 1998. Church leaders, both Catholic and Protestant, believe that church attendance peaked during 1999 and early 2000 (5 Sept. 2000, Section I).
In May 1999 it was reported that all the large religious denominations of Cuba were affiliated to the Cuban Council of Churches (Consejo de Iglesias de Cuba), except for the Catholic Church (Reuters 20 May 1999). In January 2000 it was reported that the Adventist Church, along with all the other large Protestant denominations except the Methodist Church, no longer belonged to the Council (El Nuevo Herald 26 Jan. 2000). The Council is described as being widely perceived to be pro-government, although the Methodist Bishops of Cuba are also described as not having "any sympathy for the government" (ningún vínculo de simpatía con el gobierno) (ibid.).
One report states that Protestant churches in Cuba have generally enjoyed a better relationship with the government than the Catholic Church, adding that all benefited from a gradual increase in religious freedom that peaked with the visit of the Pope in 1998 (Reuters 20 May 1999). However, another report states that during the visit of the Pope a number of "Evangelical churches" in Holguin, including the Seventh Day Adventist, "continued being victimized by sieges, prohibitions and closing of house churches" (continuaron siendo víctimas de asedios, prohibiciones y clausuras de casas cultos) (CubaNet 18 May 1998). One source states that "several hours before the visit of Pope John Paul II to Cuba, an unidentified number of house churches were ordered to be closed ... the Evangelical League of Cuba also reported that they were pressured by the Cuban secret police to refrain from any evangelistic activity during the Pope's visit" (ICC Oct. 2000). However, this source does not include specific references to Adventist churches or activities.
Protestant churches reportedly began "regaining lost ground" after 1990 through pastoral work, house churches and social programs (El Nuevo Herald 1 Oct. 1997). A factor limiting their growth has been the difficulties faced by all religions in Cuba for building temples, which has led to a widespread use of homes as places of religious practice – the casas culto or house churches (ibid.). International Christian Concern (ICC), an international organization that monitors human rights of Christians worldwide, refers to an "active opposition to house churches" by the government, and states that "only 2.82% of the country is Protestant but they are growing at an annual rate of 6.1%" (Oct. 2000). ICC reports on Cuba do not make specific reference to the situation of Adventists.
In October 2000 the Cuban government announced that Protestant churches would be allowed to hold mass public services in some cities, although it was not clear from the announcement if such permission would be granted only for one occasion (CubaNet 29 Dec. 1998).
An Adventist musical quartet from Spain called Los Heraldos del Rey, which plays religious music, was reportedly denied permits to perform in Cuba in 1998 (CubaNet 29 Dec. 1998). Another report also mentions a Spanish Adventist quartet, Los Heraldos Negros, as being denied permits to perform in public venues in late September 2000 (ibid. 3 Oct. 2000).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 2000. 5 September 2000. "Cuba." U.S. Department of State. Washington, DC.
CubaNet News, Miami. 3 October 2000. Jesús Zúñiga. "Permitirán oficios religiosos públicos."
_____. 29 December 1998. "El Nuevo Día Interactivo: Limitan la actuación de un cuarteto."
_____. 18 May 1998. Monike de Motas. "Un mito que con el Papa se ha hecho leyenda."
El Nuevo Herald [Miami]. 26 January 2000. Pablo Alfonso. "El polémico Consejo de iglesias cubanas." (CubaNet)
_____. 1 October 1997. Marcos Antonio Ramos. "Datos nuevos sobre la religión en Cuba." (CubaNet)
Human Rights Watch (HRW). June 1999. Cuba's Repressive Machinery: Human Rights Forty Years After the Revolution.
International Christian Concern (ICC), Washington, DC. October 2000. Latin America: Cuba.
Reuters. 20 May 1999. "Celebración a nivel nacional de iglesias protestantes en Cuba." (CubaNet)
