SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba — Two Cuban Baptist leaders arrested Oct. 3 in the city of Santiago de Cuba remain in jail, reportedly without formal charge and with few details of why they are being held. Rubén Ortiz-Columbié, coordinator for special projects of the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention (ECBC), and Francisco “Pancho” Garcia, director of the convention’s teen department, were reportedly carrying out church work when nabbed by authorities.
Ortiz’ son, also named Ruben, is a pastor in Florida. He said the two men were on their way to distribute money donated for Baptist work. He said his church, Primera Iglesia Bautista, Deltona, Fla., regularly sends funds to the convention for missions projects in Cuba. Observers in the United States familiar with the situation said they don’t know why police targeted Ortiz and Garcia. Ortiz is a well-known Baptist leader. He served as executive director of the ECBD until retiring. He has continued to visit churches to determine project needs and help them get the jobs done in a volunteer capacity.
With 320 churches, the ECBC is the largest of four Baptist groups in Cuba. It has a long-standing fraternal relationship with American Baptist Churches USA.
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