The 53-year-old Pentecostal pastor, Ariel Limias Leiva, remains isolated at Villa Marista, the principal detention facility of the State Security in Havana. His family has not been allowed to visit him or been informed of any charges against him, according to a statement by his wife to Martí Noticias on Sunday.
Limias was apprehended on Friday in front of Havana’s National Capitol after making his way from Monte Street to the building's steps, holding a sign that read "Down with the Dictatorship" and "No More Absurd Political Discrimination" on either side.
Shortly after reaching the steps, he was arrested by four officers. During his detention, he was heard shouting, "Down with the Dictatorship."
Initially taken to the Dragones police station in Old Havana, Limias was later moved to Villa Marista for further investigation.
His wife, Yulia Morales Zamora, recounted her visit on Saturday with Limias’s mother and brother to bring him hygiene products. "We were at Villa Marista until very late with his mom, his brother, and me," she shared.
The investigator handling the case informed them that Limias "remains under investigation" and that charges will be communicated once they are filed. Authorities assured the family that he is in good condition and has received his medications, but they have not been able to verify this in person.
"We can't see him, he remains incommunicado," Morales Zamora lamented, recalling the transfer from Dragones: "State Security came and took him away. They didn’t even let us get close; we only saw him from a distance."
A family visit has been scheduled for Friday, October 9. "We hope for God's mercy that we can see and embrace him on Friday," his wife expressed.
This is not the first time Limias has faced repercussions for protesting. In July 2021, shortly after the 11J demonstrations, he walked through Havana with a sign that read "Freedom," resulting in his arrest and a fine. "It's not the first time he's engaged in peaceful protest. In 2021, he did the same, and they imprisoned him," Morales Zamora confirmed.
Limias's case is part of a broader crackdown on evangelical religious leaders in Cuba during 2026. A day before Limias's arrest, evangelical pastor Rolando Fidel Pérez Lora was detained en route to a court in Havana del Este for the trial of activist Anna Bensi, marking his third arrest that year.
Intellectual and activist Alina Bárbara López Hernández commented on Limias’s situation, suggesting that Christian churches in Cuba could become a political force capable of challenging the regime if their followers see defending the persecuted as a faith mandate.
Limias Leiva, affiliated with the Assembly of God and a resident of Old Havana, works as a painter at the San José fair. His wife, also a pastor from the same congregation, linked his protest to the living conditions of their neighbors and the lack of freedoms on the island.
Questions About Ariel Limias's Detention
Why was Ariel Limias arrested?
Ariel Limias was arrested for protesting in front of Havana's National Capitol with a sign calling for the end of dictatorship and political discrimination.
Where is Ariel Limias being held?
He is being held at Villa Marista, the main detention center for State Security in Havana.
What are the conditions of his detention?
He remains incommunicado, and his family has not been allowed to see him or verify his well-being, though authorities claim he is in good condition.