During the Covid-19 crisis, Christians in Cuba have been facing various forms of state hostility:
- On 6 May 2020, The Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) reported a case of blackmail of one of its members, whose grandson had been arrested and convicted. The authorities attempted to negotiate a reduction in his sentence in exchange for her leaving the MCL and giving up her activities opposing the regime.
- On 27 May 2020, the Miami Herald reported various cases of harassment and arrest targeting Christians of which the following is a selection: i) In separate incidents, a church leader and a Christian artist were arrested for not allowing officials to enter their homes due to lockdown measures. ii) A Christian involved in church humanitarian work was detained and charged for "spreading disease" and "illicit enrichment". iii) The president of the Missionary Church of Cuba was arbitrarily confined in an overcrowded prison for two days. iv) An evangelical independent journalist was accused of "disseminating enemy propaganda" and has been accosted four times by state security agents and threatened with imprisonment and repercussions for his family.
- On 23 June 2020, Cibercuba reported that Cuban police detained Pastor Yasser Caraballo for 72 hours and fined him 1000 CUP for allegedly storing corn for pig farming illegally. The police also confiscated livestock and other property from his home.
Rossana Ramirez, persecution analyst at World Watch Research (WWR), comments: "The fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has been a welcome pretext for the government authorities to intensify their pressure on dissidents and others deemed part of an opposition movement. On charges of disobedience or spreading disease, many have been fined exorbitant amounts, the equivalent of 300 USD. Since this is more than Cuban citizens earn in a year, they are unable to pay such fines and are consequently sent to prison."
Rossana Ramirez adds: "Such state action not only affects Christians and their families; it also affects those in society who rely on the humanitarian work carried out by churches to survive. As reported by Cibercuba on 27 May 2020, some churches have been forced to
give up distributing aid since the authorities are targeting anyone distributing goods to the population without their express consent."
