The referendum is due to happen on 24th February.
High ranking communist party officials summoned Christian, Yoruba and Masonic leaders in Santiago on Tuesday for assurance that they and their congregations would all be voting to adopt the new constitution.
Religious leaders elsewhere in the country have told the freedom charity Christian Solidarity Worldside (CSW) that they had been summoned to similar meetings in the past week.
They are concerned about supporting it as the draft looks like it could significantly reduce protections for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and it weakens references to freedom of conscience.
One church leader told CSW that “all [the Communist Party of Cuba leaders] wanted was to intimidate us because they thought that we were going to openly promote a no vote. In my eyes, it was a meeting to attempt to pressure us, I think they are very worried.”
These meetings occured after several church denominations have criticised the new constitution openly.
The Eastern Baptist Convention, the Methodist Church of Cuba and the Assemblies of God, as well as from the Cuban Catholic Bishops Conference have all said they have concerns about freedom of conscience potentially being taken out.
The Catholic bishops wrote: “we regret the absence of recognition of the diversity of political opinion (see article 40), as well as the need to…
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