BLANCO: Cuba and the Vatican Deal in the Face of U.S. Elections

Cuba today.

Read Dissident Project Media Fellow Gabriela Blanco’s new article in Real Clear World.

During the last week of Biden’s presidency, the Vatican negotiated the removal of Cuba from the terrorism sponsors list in yet another example of its long-standing relationship with the Cuban dictatorship. It’s time for the Church to stop whitewashing the regime and finally take a firm stand against the ongoing violations of human and religious rights. 

Here were the terms of the deal: The Cuban government would release 553 political prisoners, out of over 1200 that are incarcerated there. In addition, Cuba would lift restrictions on government entities like the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), a military operated organization which controls the Cuban economy and contributes to keeping the regime in power. In exchange, the Vatican agreed to have Cuba removed from the terrorism sponsors list. 

Pope Francis proved a disappointing mediator. After being sworn into office, President Trump reinstated Cuba as sponsors of terrorism. Prisoner releases stopped immediately, and the regime once again showed its true colors: as usual it was using prisoners for political gain. Less than 200 prisoners have been released so far. The Vatican has not proven itself a champion of human rights, but an incompetent diplomat.

The relationship between the Vatican and Cuba’s communist regime has been complex for over six decades. Following the Revolution of 1959, it appeared the Vatican had set the tone when it came to the new political order on the island, when Pope John XXIII excommunicated Fidel Castro in 1962 for his support of the communist ideology. Multiple papal visits followed through the years —John Paul II in 1998, Benedict XVI in 2012 and Francis in 2015. While these visits offered some hope and somewhat encouraged religious tolerance, it's time for the Church to call for real change for the Cuban people. 

While Marxism and religion are philosophically opposed, Castro recognized in the 1980s that combining the two could be an “explosive” force. So, he changed his tune on religion and began using it for strategic manipulation. In 1990 The São Paulo Forum was created, gathering leftist political parties in Latin America with leaders that promoted a softer stance on religion and promoted liberation theology. This allowed figures like Hugo Chávez in Venezuela to claim Jesus as the first socialist and utilize religion in their favor to win the conservative vote. This socialist agenda has remained, and Pope John Francis just gave it a voice again.

During his visit to Cuba in 1998, John Paul II negotiated the restoration of Christmas as a national holiday, after the celebration had been banned for 30 years. Originally from Poland, he played an important role in the fight against communism in the Soviet Union and was a great asset in bringing down the Iron Curtain alongside Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Still, his visit to Cuba was a political triumph for the regime. Perhaps due to his advanced age and health, he did not criticize the government and no significant change resulted, apart from a public display of quasi-peace between the Cuban leader and the Vatican. That’s why, even with a legacy of opposing communism, John Paul II’s visit legitimized the Cuban regime more.

Today, Pope Francis has an even softer stance when it comes to the Latin American left, in line with his background in liberation theology. Unlike his predecessors, he has never issued a strong condemnation of leftist authoritarian governments. Pope Francis focuses on dialogue and often points to economic disparities as the cause for political instability in the American continent. His reluctance to challenge left and right-leaning regimes equally has led many who once believed the church was an ally for human rights to call his motives into question. 

In the case of Cuba, major concessions were made during the Obama administration, such as new diplomatic relations, one-sided cultural exchange and a relaxation of embargo measures. All of these were made with the Vatican as a middleman, and none yielded positive results for the Cuban people. Raul Castro was also hosted at the Vatican in 2015 and Francis visited Cuba the same year. This approach, which some call diplomatic, not only failed to bring about real change but also emboldened a dictatorship that has shown the deepest disdain for Catholicism and its followers.

Catholic leaders like Father José Conrado Rodríguez, who faces constant persecution, or protestants like Pastor Alain Toledano who had his church demolished, are just a few examples of the level of harassment religious leaders continue to face in Cuba. Catholic activists like the group “Ladies in White” have also been arrested and beaten many times as they protest peacefully. No improvements in religious freedom or human rights have come from the Vatican’s diplomatic interventions in Cuba.

The world needs the moral authority of the Church now more than ever. It needs that  same church that has been a source of hope and guidance for many through difficult times. Cuba has played the role of evil genius for too long, destabilizing democracies in the hemisphere secretly while the world was preoccupied with the threat of other left-wing regimes over the past century. 

Cubans call on the Vatican to assume its responsibility once again as a fearless champion for the people. We call on Catholics to remain strong in their convictions so that the church will be held accountable, and we will never again be persuaded by the sweet sound of socialist lies.

Gabriela Blanco is a speaker for the Dissident Project and the Gideons International as well as a member of the Ladies of Liberty.