Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez of Palm Beach, Florida, has called for expanded internet access and greater political freedoms for the people of Cuba, stating these rights are essential to human dignity.
The bishop made his remarks in an interview with EWTN Noticias following a March visit to Cuba for the installation of Bishop Osmany Massó Cuesta of Bayamo-Manzanillo.
Rodríguez addressed recent developments on the island, including the government’s Holy Week announcement to release over 2,000 prisoners. He described this as “a first step toward a long-term and more stable solution,” while emphasizing it is “neither the definitive nor the complete solution.”
“In Cuba, a process must take place wherein Cubans are granted increasingly greater access to the internet, where the exercise of freedom of expression is made possible, and where political freedom — naturally — can also be exercised, for that is part of human dignity,” Rodríguez stated.
He stressed that such progress “must always proceed from an attitude of dialogue and collaboration.”
The bishop noted some positive developments for the Church in Cuba, including opportunities for bishops “to speak on the radio,” allowing them to evangelize and offer moral support “within the limitations inherent to the prevailing situation and circumstances.”
Internet access in Cuba remains tightly controlled by the state-owned company ETECSA. The most affordable domestic plan costs 120 Cuban pesos ($5) for just 2 GB of data, while visitors can access plans with at least 10 GB. The state maintains a monopoly over all media, forcing independent journalists to rely on the internet at great personal risk.
The Church ‘Is No One’s Enemy’
Rodríguez first visited Cuba in 1998 for St. John Paul II’s historic apostolic journey and later lived there as a missionary from 1999 to 2000.
“Upon returning after 25 years, I have found a people who still possess the same faith, a people filled with hope, and a Church that has continued to grow and renew itself,” he said. “However, suffering and distress in general have multiplied.”
He described the current humanitarian crisis as reaching “truly inhumane proportions,” with blackouts and shortages of food and medicine intensifying since January after the U.S. halted oil shipments from Mexico and Venezuela.
Although a Russian vessel delivered 730,000 barrels of oil in late March and the U.S. government is sending donations through Caritas Cuba, Rodríguez said these measures are insufficient.
The bishop urged Cuban authorities to recognize that the Catholic Church “is no one’s enemy” and is not aligned with any political ideology. “By working with the Church, they will be safeguarding the dignity of the Cuban people,” he stated.
Rodríguez concluded with an invitation to Cuban authorities: “Do not be afraid to collaborate” with the Church, assuring them that “we, the Catholic bishops of the United States, are here to support the bishops of Cuba in whatever is needed.”
