Washington, DC — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released a stark new country update on Cuba, documenting what it describes as continued, systematic violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) on the Communist-ruled island. The report details a deliberate legal and bureaucratic framework designed to marginalize, monitor, and punish religious groups that fall outside the government’s grip.

In its newly released Cuba Country Update, USCIRF found that Cuba’s authorities deploy a layered arsenal of repressive tools against people of faith — including state surveillance, financial fines, enforced exile, and restrictions on religious assembly and expression. The Commission’s findings mirror those in its 2026 Annual Report, which formally recommended Cuba be designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) — the most serious classification available under U.S. religious freedom law.

Cuba’s government maintains a repressive legal structure that marginalizes certain religious groups and exerts control over them, using surveillance, fines, and enforced exile against religious leaders and practitioners.

How Cuba Suppresses Faith

The report outlines specific mechanisms the Cuban state employs to control, co-opt, or crush religious practice. Far from spontaneous harassment, USCIRF describes the repression as systematic — embedded in law and enforced by government agencies:

Cuba Among Latin America’s “Triad of Repression”

Cuba’s record does not stand alone. USCIRF has repeatedly highlighted what it calls a “triad” of authoritarian states in Latin America suppressing religious freedom — Cuba alongside Nicaragua and Venezuela. All three share a pattern of using state power to silence faith communities, particularly those whose beliefs or moral convictions place them in tension with socialist governance.

The Commission held a dedicated hearing on Cuba’s violations as part of its broader examination of the region, gathering testimony and evidence to support its call for stronger U.S. policy engagement. USCIRF’s recommendations — directed to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress — urge Washington to use diplomatic and legal tools to hold Havana accountable.

Key USCIRF Reports & Resources

About USCIRF

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom conditions abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief worldwide.

Media inquiries may be directed to USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov.

This report is based on an official press release issued by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on May 13, 2026.