Pastor Alain Toledano has reported that the Cuban regime prevented him from traveling to the island to bid farewell to a deceased family member. Toledano, who was coerced into exile in mid-2022 along with his wife and two daughters under the threat of immediate imprisonment, shared with America Tevé the peculiar method the regime used to inform him that his trip would be futile.
"I booked a flight, and the day before my departure, my former lawyer in Cuba called to tell me that State Security had contacted him. They saw my name on the passenger list and instructed him to inform me not to travel because they would send me back on the very plane I arrived on," Toledano explained to journalist Rolando Nápoles.
Despite the warning, Toledano attempted to travel, but he faced issues right at Miami Airport where he was barred from boarding the plane. When he tried to check in, he was informed that he was prohibited from entering Cuba by any means—by air, sea, or land. He also recounted a previous instance where he merely accompanied others to the Miami airport and an employee checking tickets and passports already knew he wasn’t allowed to enter the island.
The pastor, who has faced notable repression on the island, including multiple demolitions of his church, clarified that he has no intention of living in Cuba again. However, he emphasized that his mother, older daughters, grandchildren, and many loved ones are still there. “For simply not thinking like them—because I owe them nothing—I am barred from entering my own country, the place of my birth, and most criminally, I am prevented from being with my family,” he lamented.
Toledano detailed when his troubles with the regime began. “My issues with them started when the church began to grow and society started listening to the message. They got nervous and began their attacks. When they demolished my church for the first time, took our home, and seized all our belongings, both church and personal, it was because of the movement within the church,” he noted.
He was asked to close the church, but he refused. “I didn’t close the church; I continued preaching the Gospel, and they retaliated against me in this way,” he explained.
Pastor Toledano and his family left Cuba in July 2022 after being given a 30-day ultimatum by State Security on June 25 of that year to leave or face imprisonment. Until his exile, Toledano was one of the most outspoken critics of the regime within the religious community on the island.
In both 2007 and 2016, his church, Emanuel, which he established in 1999 in Santiago de Cuba, was demolished. Additionally, he faced numerous arrests and threats against himself and his family.
Alain Toledano argues that no government should have the authority to deny a citizen entry to their own country unless they are a criminal or owe debts to the nation. “My only issue with the Cuban regime is that I am not a communist,” he concludes.
Key Questions About Alain Toledano’s Exile and Cuban State Security
Why was Alain Toledano forced into exile from Cuba?
Alain Toledano was forced into exile due to threats of immediate imprisonment by the Cuban regime. His outspoken criticism and the growth of his church led to increased repression from the authorities.
What were the consequences faced by Alain Toledano for his religious activities in Cuba?
As a result of his religious activities and criticism of the regime, Toledano's church was demolished multiple times, and he faced arrests and threats against him and his family.
How did the Cuban regime prevent Alain Toledano from attending a family funeral?
The Cuban regime prevented Toledano from attending a family funeral by notifying his former lawyer that he would be turned away at the airport and not allowed to enter Cuba by any means.