The Cuban communist regime has released Evangelical pastor Luis Guillermo Borjas from custody, but both he and his wife, Pastor Roxana Rojas, still face charges of “contempt” and “disobedience” in a Cuban military court on June 9. Their crime? Defending their son, Kevin Lay Laurencio Rojas, a young man facing trial for deserting the regime’s brutal, compulsory military service.
Borjas, a pastor with the Assemblies of God in Isla de la Juventud, reportedly converted five people to Christianity while behind bars, saying he was “put in prison to preach” and thanking God for the opportunity. His wife, Rojas, who suffers from a heart condition, was hospitalized following the stress of their son’s trial but was released last week.
The couple was arrested on May 19 for presenting medical evidence at their son’s trial, showing that he suffered from psychiatric conditions and was unfit for military service. The court dismissed their evidence, calling it false, prompting Borjas to boldly tell the prosecutor they would face God’s justice. The prosecutor reportedly replied that they were not allowed to speak about God, as Cuba’s communist courts exist to do the regime’s version of “justice.”
The regime’s military courts are notorious for crushing dissent. Under Cuba’s oppressive system, all men aged 18 to 28 must serve two years of mandatory military service—often likened to a prison sentence filled with abuse, mistreatment, and repressive conditions.
The Assemblies of God thanked supporters for their prayers and solidarity but warned that the fight is far from over. The couple faces up to eight years in prison when they stand trial in June.
Borjas and Rojas’ courage in the face of religious persecution has drawn support from human rights organizations, who warn that Cuba’s government continues to target Christians for their faith.
