The pastor of the Evangelical Pentecostal Church of Puerto Padre, in the province of Las Tunas, Cuba, has called for Christian unity and prayer of a thousand hours, according to the Cuban media outlet CubaNet Noticias.

The religious leader seeks God's intervention in the face of the complex situation facing the Cuban people, affected by the serious economic crisis, shortages and social discontent. The pastor, who has already begun the spiritual exercise with his congregation and the Presbytery of Puerto Padre, shared his message in a video, asking that the initiative be extended beyond his locality.

"We want to ask all the Christians of this country, every church, every council in Cuba to join the prayer that we are developing here," he said, highlighting the urgency of the moment.

The main motivation behind this call is the difficult reality in which citizens live, with the life of the people "every day being more complex, every day being more difficult." The pastor expressed the feelings of many, who "can no longer cope with this life we are leading." For this reason, he urged believers to "humble themselves in the presence of God" and to pray with perseverance, trusting that "God will do something on this Earth."

The call to spiritual action seeks a "supernatural intervention on Cuba that will bring the radical response to all our needs and problems."

The message underscores the importance of collective commitment, encouraging every Christian, pastor and church to respond to the call and avoid indifference. The cry for spiritual revival and a solution to material problems has become a point of hope for many in the midst of difficulties.

The real situation in Cuba

Cuba is facing a serious socio-economic crisis. The government admits that the economy contracted by 2% in 2023 and another 1.1% in 2024, while inflation is around or above 30% (unofficial sources speak of even higher figures in recent years). Almost the entire population suffers from shortages of basic goods: daily electricity blackouts (10–16 hours a day), lack of running water for 1 million people, and "near-universal shortages" of food, fuel and medicine.

Tourism, once a key source of foreign exchange, has not recovered from the pandemic, exacerbating the lack of revenue. In the face of this officially declared "state of economic war," the government has imposed price controls and budget cuts to "correct distortions," and maintains state rationing of food for thousands of families.

Real wages are very low, and the population has lost purchasing power. The hardship has unleashed massive migration: more than a million Cubans have left the island since 2020, a historic exodus that also reflects social discontent.

Politically, Cuba remains governed by the Communist Party in a one-party system, with no independent media or formal opposition. In March 2024, social protests erupted — mainly in Santiago de Cuba — where hundreds of people took to the streets demanding "light and food" after prolonged power cuts.

The government reacted by promising to guarantee the supply of basic foodstuffs (including by receiving aid, such as Chinese rice donations) and immediately restoring electricity.

At the same time, President Díaz-Canel blamed the United States and the "capitalist media" for instigating the riots and said he was willing to dialogue. In practice, however, there is still a strong repression of dissent: international organizations and testimonies point to arbitrary arrests and summary trials against opponents. For example, in April, Cuban authorities arrested prominent opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer after revoking his parole.

The population suffers political restrictions and repression in parallel with the acute economic crisis, in a context of growing social dissatisfaction.

This article was originally published at Christian Daily International