Cuba Holds Pastors 16 Year Old Son Captive for Saying Freedom as Communist Regime Targets Christians

Cuba Detains 16 Year Old Son of Christian Pastor During Nationwide Crackdown on Churches and Protests

Jonathan Muir Burgos, the 16 year old son of Evangelical Pastor Elier Muir Avila, remains locked in state custody at the Technical Investigation Department in Ciego de Avila province after Cuban security forces detained him on March 16.

The teenager and his father were summoned by police in the city of Moron, where widespread protests had erupted following seven consecutive nights of nationwide blackouts and severe shortages of food and medicine.

Pastor Elier Muir Avila, who leads the Tiempo de Cosecha Independent Church, was released hours after his arrest. His son was not.

Authorities interrogated Jonathan about his alleged participation in demonstrations that swept through Moron on March 13 and 14, including whether he called for freedom during the protests. He has not been formally charged, but officials warned that prosecutors could review the case within three days and that he could face prosecution under Cuban law.

The detention of a 16 year old child simply because he attempted to exercise his freedom of expression is unconscionable.

Anna Lee Stangl, Director of Advocacy at Christian Solidarity Worldwide, made the statement while calling for Jonathan's immediate release into parental custody.

Relatives and activists have raised urgent concerns because Jonathan suffers from a serious medical condition. The Cuban government has a documented history of targeting the children of church leaders as a pressure tactic against congregations that operate outside the state approved religious framework.

The unrest in Moron included protesters who sacked and set fire to the local Cuban Communist Party headquarters in the early hours of March 14. Reports indicate one protester was shot during the demonstrations. The regime also cut internet access across the island to suppress news coverage of the events.

Christian Pastor's Teenage Son Held Without Charges in Cuban Government Detention Facility

The detentions come amid a broader wave of repression against Cuban Christians. Just one day earlier, on March 15, Pastor Rolando Perez Lora was arrested after recording and uploading a Bible teaching video to his YouTube channel. He was detained in a park in the Penas Altas area of Matanzas while using one of only two public Wi Fi spots nearby.

Cuba ranks 24th on the 2026 World Watch List compiled by Open Doors, reflecting the regime's systematic control over religious life, surveillance of churches, and relentless pressure on leaders of unregistered congregations. Reverend Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso, a prominent Cuban freedom of religion activist, has also documented the escalating persecution.

The Crusader's Opinion

A communist regime is holding a 16 year old boy with a serious medical condition in a government facility because he may have called for freedom. Let that sink in. This child's crime was allegedly saying the word "freedom" out loud. His father's crime is leading a church that refuses to bow to the state. Cuba's government does not just hate dissent. It hates Christ. It hates the Church. It targets pastors, their wives, and now their children. The world stays silent because there is no oil in Cuba and no geopolitical advantage in defending persecuted Christians on a communist island. But we will not stay silent. Every believer who reads this should know: if they will cage a child for whispering "freedom," they will do far worse when no one is watching.

Take Action

• Pray: Lift up Jonathan Muir Burgos by name. Pray for his health, his safety, and his immediate release into his family's care.
• Donate: Support persecuted Christians in Cuba through The Shepherd's Shield and Open Doors USA.
• Contact: Urge your elected representatives to demand Cuba's release of Jonathan Muir Burgos. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224 3121.
• Support CSW: Stand with Christian Solidarity Worldwide in their advocacy for religious freedom in Cuba.
• Share: Post this story on social media. Ask why a 16 year old Christian boy is behind bars for saying "freedom" and why the mainstream media has nothing to say about it.