MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cuba “needs more than ever church blessings” to support reforms, says Raul

Raul Castro attended the 70th anniversary of the Council of Churches

President Raul Castro said that Cuba currently “needs more than ever the blessings from its evangelic churches” to keep advancing with the reforms to update the exhausted economic model of the last fifty years, according to reports in the official Havana media.

“I thank you all because nowadays we need more than ever all those blessings”, said Raul Castro during the Saturday religious ceremony in the Episcopalian Cathedral in Havana to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Cuban Council of Churches, CIC, said Juventud Rebelde.

According to the newspaper that was the reply from 80 year old Cuban president Raul Castro to the reverend Marcial Hernandez who “welcomed and praised the sovereign change proposals” that have been undertaken with determination by the island’s government.

The reforms which the government calls urgent include the sacking of half a million government jobs this year, which should complete a million by next year, a greater opening to the private sector promoting individual and family businesses and farms, contracting of labour plus attracting foreign investment while ending government paternalism and eliminating subsidies, mainly in food items a most sensitive issue.

CIC which is favourable to the Castro’ regime brings together over 50% of Cuban evangelic and protestant churches, (28 denominations) and is one of three main religious organizations in the island next to the Catholic Church and Afro cults’ syncretism.

Besides the good relations with CIC the administration of President Raul Castro for over a year has had an encouraging dialogue with the Cuban Catholic Church which helped with the liberation of approximately 130 political prisoners among which 52 from the 75 that were arrested and condemned in 2003.