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the Rigal-Expósito Family, imprisoned
and torn apart
for homeschooling
​their children​

Photo above: The Rigal-Expósito family, before the parents' imprisonment.
"They are trying to destroy a family." - Pastor Ramón Rigal
​On April 25, 2019, married Pastors Ramón Rigal Rodríguez and Adya Expósito Leyva, of Guantánamo, Cuba, were arrested and imprisoned for educating their children at home, not at the state-run school as the Cuban regime demands. The alleged crime was “Other Acts against the Normal Development of a Minor” (the Tejeda-Lescailles were threatened with this charge). On May 21, the husband and wife were sentenced to two and one year of prison respectively. They were pressured into sending the children to state-run school so that they could live with their grandparents until their parents’ release. One grandmother suffers from serious health issues. The parents’ appeals were denied. In late April 2019, GLA and the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) petitioned the OAS’s Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for precautionary measures for the Rigals, and encouraged the introduction of U.S. Senate Resolution 215, defending Cuban religious freedom, on May 21, 2019.
On March 27, 2020, ironically as Cuban children were required to home school in response to COVID-19, Ms. Expósito Leyva was released after over eleven months of prison (two weeks early). Pastor Rigal still serves out his two-year sentence and is due for release in 2021.
While Ms. Expósito's release has been a great relief for the family, Pastor Rigal is still in prison. GLA continues to defend the Rigals’ fundamental rights to freedom of conscience. 

News & Media:
  • ​Radio Televisión Martí, Jun. 26, 2020: ​"Excarcelado pastor de Guantánamo; periodista que cubrió el caso sigue tras las rejas."
  • Home School Legal Defense Association, Apr. 1, 2020: “Mom Set Free, Homeschool Dad Still Demands Justice from Behind Bars.”
  • CBN News, Sept. 11, 2019: “Cuban Pastor Couple Imprisoned for Homeschooling Their Children.”
  • ADNCuba (Youtube), Jul. 8, 2019: “Familia cubana destruida por defender sus derechos y su libertad religiosa.” 
  • Breitbart News, Apr. 23, 2019: “Cuban Pastor, Wife Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Homeschooling.” ​
GLA Advocacy:
  • Senate Resolution (S.R.) 215, introduced May 21, 2019: "A resolution calling for greater religious and political freedoms in Cuba, and for other purposes." 
  • Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Precautionary Measures application, Apr. 25, 2019 (rejected August 2019). 
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Global Rule of Law & Liberty Legal Defense Fund (d/b/a The Global Liberty Alliance)
©2021 All rights reserved.
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • GLA Team >
      • Staff And Advisors >
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Arthur Freyre
        • Cara Di Silvio
        • Fr. Fernando Hería
        • Abbe Jolles
        • Dr. Tomaž Slivnik
        • Dr. Jane F. Adolphe
      • Board >
        • Terry T. Campo
        • Frank M. Mendez
        • Jason I. Poblete
        • Mauricio J. Tamargo
        • Dr. Stephen M. Thompson
    • Policies >
      • Anti-Slavery & Anti-Human Trafficking
      • Business Conduct & Ethics
  • Working Groups
    • Brazil >
      • Brazil Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Guatemala >
      • Guatemala Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Honduras >
      • Honduras Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Nicaragua
    • Uruguay >
      • Uruguay Cuban Medical Mission Files
    • Western Sahara
  • Featured Case Work
    • The Cadet Newspaper at VMI
    • Free Yorubas of Cuba, Regularly Attacked for Faith
    • Alina Lopez-Miyares, US Citizen Tried by Cuban Tribunal
    • Jamshid Sharmahd, ​Businessman and Broadcaster Kidnapped into Iran
    • Roberto Quiñones, Jailed for Journalism
    • José Daniel Ferrer and UNPACU Activists
    • Rigal-Expósito Family, Torn Apart for Homeschooling
    • Tejeda-Lescaille Family, Persecuted for Jewish Faith
    • The Whittaker Chambers Farm
    • Past Cases >
      • Apostolic Movement Of Cuba
      • Roberto Bendaña McEwan – INTERPOL Abuse by Nicaragua
      • Nizar Zakka – U.S. Legal Permanent Resident, Hostage in Iran
  • News & Media
    • Global Voices for Liberty
    • GLA News
    • Media
  • Invest
  • Tips