Cuba Urged To Let Church Leader, Family Leave Island

Cuba Urged To Let Church Leader, Family Leave Island
Monday, November 7, 2011 (6:02 pm)
By BosNewsLife Americas Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos

HAVANA, CUBA (BosNewsLife)-- The leader of a major Cuban network of
independent churches and his family have urged Cuba's government to let
them leave the Communist-run island following years of harassment,
including imprisonment, Christian rights activists told BosNewsLife
Monday, November 7.

Pastor Omar Gude Perez of the growing 'Apostolic Movement', his wife and
two children were granted asylum in the United States in July but were
refused permission to exit Cuba, said advocacy group Christian
Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

"We are deeply concerned at the news that Cuban officials have once
again declined to issue the Gude family an exit visa," added CSW's
Special Ambassador Stuart Windsor in a statement to BosNewsLife.

Pastor Gude, served almost three years of a six and a half year prison
sentence on what his supported called "trumped up charges". He was
released on "conditional liberty" earlier this year but is reportedly
prohibited from preaching or from traveling outside his home city of
Camaguey.

"After receiving asylum in the US in July, the couple was informed by
government officials that they would not be issued exit visas, or "white
cards", as they are called in Cuba," CSW said.

"NEGATIVE PRESS COVERAGE"

Following "negative press coverage" officials told the family they would
in fact "be allowed to leave, but three months on they say they have yet
to see any indication that they will be permitted to go into exile," CSW
explained.

The family reportedly said they are concerned about "the long delays and
contradictory messages."

Another couple, both pastors from the same network in Camaguey as the
Gude family, have also been harassed by government officials and
threatened with imprisonment and forcible closure of their
church,according to Christian rights activists.

"On the most recent occasion, Benito Rodríguez and Bárbara Guzmán were
ordered to appear at the local Ministry of Justice on 11 October and
fined 200 Cuban pesos, approximately a one month's salary in Cuba,' CSW
added in a statement.

These are no isolated incidents. Last month a Baptist pastor in the
province of Santa Clara, Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso, was reportedly
put under house arrest on multiple occasions.

GOVERNMENT "WARNS" FAMILY

"Officials warned the family that they could be a target of an "act of
repudiation", government orchestrated mobs often mobilized by officials
to intimidate and attack human rights and democracy activists," CSW
explained. "News of increased pressure and threats against other church
leaders is also extremely worrying," said Windsor. "

He stressed his group has urged Cuba "to uphold its commitments as a
signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
and to cease harassment of religious leaders."

"We hope that the government will also honor its promise to the Gude
family to allow them to leave the country and begin a new life in the
United States without any further delay."

Cuban officials did not comment on the latest cases. However the Cuban
government has repeatedly denied holding any political or Christian
dissidents saying those held are mercenaries paid by the United States.

OPPOSITION MOVEMENT DIFFICULTIES

The reported crackdown on Christians come also at a difficult time for
Cuba's small opposition movement.

Leading dissident Guillermo Fariñas was released last week from a jail
in the central Cuban city of Santa Clara after spending two days in
custody. He was detained Tuesday, November 1, when trying to enter
Arnaldo Milian Castro Provincial Hospital to visit fellow dissident
Alcides Rivera, who has been on hunger strike for over a month.

Last year, he went on a four-and-a-half-month fast to demand the release
of political prisoners following the death of Orlando Zapata, who died
February 23, 2010, after a lengthy hunger strike behind bars to protest
jail conditions.

The international outcry over Zapata's death prompted the Cuban
government to launch a Spain-backed dialogue last year with the Cuban
Catholic hierarchy that led to the release of over 100 political
prisoners. Those released included dozens of dissidents jailed in March
2003 amid what observers called "the harshest crackdown" in decades.

Since last month they continue without Laura Pollan, the founder of the
Ladies in White, who every Sunday walk out and march in silence along
Havana's busy Fifth Avenue, dressed in white and carrying red gladiolas.
She died at te age of 63 on October 14 following her peaceful battle for
human rights that included the release of her activist husband Cuban
dissident Hector Maseda, after eight years in prison.

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