Cuba Throws Sick 16 Year Old Son of Pastor in Jail While Another Pastor Arrested for Posting Bible Study on YouTube

Cuba Jails 16 Year Old Son of Pastor for Protesting While His Father Was Arrested for Posting Bible Videos

The Cuban communist regime has detained a 16 year old boy with a life threatening medical condition for over a week, accusing him of participating in anti government protests that swept the island nation in March 2026.

Jonathan Muir Burgos, the son of Pastor Elier Muir Ávila, leader of the Tiempo de Cosecha Independent Church in Morón, was arrested alongside his father on March 16. While the pastor was released the same day at 5:30 p.m., his teenage son remains locked up at the Technical Investigation Department in Ciego de Ávila.

Jonathan suffers from dyshidrosis, a serious skin condition that has led to infections caused by beta hemolytic streptococcus and staphylococcus. The condition has endangered his life multiple times and requires consistent medication. Reports indicate he is being held without adequate medical care.

The arrests came in the wake of massive protests that erupted across Cuba following seven consecutive nights of blackouts and extreme shortages of food and medicine. In the early hours of March 14, demonstrators in Morón sacked and burned the local Cuban Communist Party headquarters, with hundreds chanting "Down with the dictatorship!" and "Freedom!"

In a separate incident, Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora was detained on March 15 in Peñas Altas, Matanzas, for uploading a Bible teaching video to his YouTube channel "Pregonero de Cristo." His wife, Gelayne Rodríguez Ávila, confirmed that state security agents held him for approximately three hours before releasing him.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that the Cuban government has a long history of targeting the children of church leaders as a pressure tactic.

The Cuban government has a long history of targeting the children of church leaders as a pressure tactic.

CSW's Director of Advocacy, Anna Lee Stangl, condemned the detentions. Earlier in March, government officials attempted to forcibly conscript the 23 year old son of another unregistered pastor into military service.

Cuba currently ranks No. 24 on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Unregistered churches face constant surveillance, and congregations are required to obtain government approval to operate.

Cuban Regime Holds Sick Teen Captive as Crackdown on Christian Families Intensifies

Freedom of religion activist Rev. Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso has drawn attention to the pattern of repression targeting Christian leaders and their families in Cuba. The Patmos Institute, a civil society group, has documented repeated instances of the state using family members as leverage against pastors who refuse to submit to government control of their ministries.

The Crusader's Opinion

A communist government is holding a sick 16 year old boy in a cell because his father dares to preach the Gospel outside state control. Let that sink in. They arrested a pastor for uploading a Bible study to YouTube. They are dragging the children of church leaders into custody as punishment for their parents' faith. This is what happens when godless regimes have unchecked power. The world screams about every perceived injustice in the West but stays silent when a communist dictatorship tortures Christian families. Where are the human rights organizations? Where is the outrage from the United Nations? Jonathan Muir Burgos is a child with a life threatening medical condition, and they are denying him medicine to send a message. That is evil. There is no other word for it.

Take Action

• Pray for Jonathan Muir Burgos, for his immediate release and access to the medical care he desperately needs.
• Contact your elected representatives and urge them to pressure the Cuban government to release all political and religious prisoners. In the US, call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224 3121.
• Support Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which is actively advocating for persecuted Christians in Cuba.
• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians and their families worldwide.
• Support Open Doors and their work documenting and responding to Christian persecution in Cuba and across the globe.
• Share this story on social media and with your church community. The Cuban regime relies on silence. Do not give it to them.