Dionisio Garca, the archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, prayed to the Virgin Mary to change the hearts of those who can decide whether or not to free the Cubans who were imprisoned for protesting on July 11, 2021.
On that day, thousands of Cubans protested in the streets of the country’s largest cities, calling for freedom and denouncing the unprecedented shortage of needs as well as the high death toll brought on by the regime’s inadequate response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The regime responded with a violent crackdown, detaining numerous demonstrators. Sentences to prison were handed down after trials.
In the basilica of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre, the nation’s patroness, during Mass on July 17, the prelate submitted his request to the Mother of God.
According to the archbishop, almost a year ago “we lifted up our prayers in a unique way for the events that had happened the previous Sunday, July 11, when there were demonstrations, people who wanted to express their opinions in various towns of our country.”
“Like everything human, the majority of things were very peaceful, but regrettably some were violent.
Some violence, violence that caused harm to numerous families and resulted in one death, he added.
One year after the occurrences, according to Garca, “that circumstance still has ramifications.
“The captives suffer the worst repercussions.
As a result, he pleaded with the mother, “Mother, we beg you to move the hearts of all Cubans and of all those who have it in their power to change the situation, to take a step forward, so that all sentences are reviewed again and so that all those who wanted to express their opinion on the situation can be released.”
The archbishop claimed that in addition to this hardship, many Cubans have migrated away from the island as a result of the circumstances there.
“The exodus has been added to this. Could that be the name of it?
Each of us reacts to the situation differently, but thousands of Cubans have made the decision to leave their nation, their homeland, he said.
These Cubans, who number in the thousands, “believe that conditions don’t exist to be able to completely utilize their potential,” according to Garca.
Additionally, there are tens of thousands of split-up families and tens of thousands of old individuals who are abandoned.
Many families are struggling as a result of the deaths of some travelers, either at sea or on land.
Cuba “is the homeland of everyone and for the good of all,” the archbishop noted.
People prefer to reside in the country in which they were born, despite the fact that there are many Cubans there as there are from so many other nations.
Because it is impossible to make everyone share the same viewpoint, the pope urged Cubans to make every effort “so we can all live as brothers even if we believe differently, but we can in fact think differently and respect each other.
“Nobody is making an impression.
The day after the protests, on July 12, 2021, the Cuban bishops issued a statement in which they declared “that every person is free, with rights and duties, because he is a creature of God, made in God’s image and likeness, and that everyone has the right to express himself and give an opinion on situations that concern us all.” Garca recalled this statement.
Then he prayed to Mary, “Please make the necessary adjustments so that we can feel safe and happy here.
The Cuban citizen feels as though he is in his country and that it is his to own, but we Cubans require the fulfillment of the requirements.
“The appropriate adjustments must be made, so that we Cubans may not be at war with one another.
I pray that all of our disagreements can be settled through conversation, mercy, and forgiveness, never by bigotry and violence.
Spanish-language news partner of CNA, ACI Prensa, first published this article. CNA has translated and modified it.