CUBA CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS VISIT U.S. POLICYMAKERS

Rev. Yiorvis Bravo (left) meets with Foundation lawyer Jason Poblete (right) as Rev. Bravo and other members of his team visited with policymakers in Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf of liberty in Cuba as well as discuss how Christians are under assault in Communist Cuba.

​​On Friday, April 21, a pastor of the Apostolic Movement of Cuba, Rev. Yiorvis Bravo from Camagüey, Cuba, visited with Foundation lawyers on Capitol Hill to discuss the latest on the Apostolic Movement’s struggle against Cuba’s religious police, the Office of Religious Affairs.

“While we were overjoyed that we could finally visit with Rev. Bravo in a free country, we realize these token travel gestures by Communist Party officials are not a permanent fix. Only liberty can fix that system. Rev. Bravo should be free to travel and worship as he wishes,” Foundation lawyer Jason Poblete said. “His case, and many others like it, are a reminder that the totalitarian system of Cuba uses immigration and religion as weapons. U.S. policymakers need to hear their message of the reality of Cuba but also of hope that there is a new generation willing to stand up and do the right thing,” Poblete added.

Rev. Bravo leads a Christian evangelical church in Camagüey, Cuba. For several years, Rev. Bravo and other Apostolic Movement church members have been targeted by officials with the Office of Religious Affairs, Cuba’s religious police, as well as other Communist Party officials. For many years the Apostolic Movement of Cuba has struggled to worship freely in Communist Cuba, in part, because it refuses to register with Cuba’s Office of Religious Affairs.
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In partnership with a U.K.-based NGO, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the Global Rule of Law Foundation is helping future leaders of a free Cuba find their voice, defend private property rights, and foster a rule of law culture. To learn more about this program, please follow this link.