Coastline and the Cross

With a bachelor's degree in Communication Science (2004) and over two decades of experience across journalism, audiovisual production, pastoral ministry, and hospitality entrepreneurship, Oscander Rodríguez Frómeta’s career spans multicultural environments in Cuba, Guyana, and the United States. He was also CBN's correspondent in Cuba (2011–2018) and a National Religious Broadcasting 2013 speaker. 

Abstract: “Cuban Independent Journalism Created by Evangelicals”  

This presentation explores how Cuban evangelical Christians have developed creative strategies to practice journalism in a country where the state controls every communication channel. Driven by a deep commitment to truth and a theological conviction that truth-telling is a form of ministry, these believers built grassroots communication networks capable of documenting and sharing what God is doing—both inside Cuba and beyond its borders. 

From the circulation of DVD recordings to internet-based platforms, technology became a key instrument for proclaiming realities that official media deliberately silences. This is ultimately a story of faith and resilience, in which Cuban evangelical journalists found ways not only to report on the spiritual and social realities of life on the island, but also to bring into Cuba news from the wider world—offering a window outward for a society long kept in isolation. 

Yoaxis Marcheco is a journalist and a doctoral candidate in ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Author of nonfiction books, such as Dieciséis islas cubanas and Armado hasta en el nombre y el apellido, she was one of the founders of the Patmos Institute, dedicated to the defense of religious freedom, and frequently writes for independent Cuban media outlets. 

Abstract: “New Media and Freedom of Expression in Cuba: An Evangelical Perspective”  

This talk will examine the role of new digital media in Cuba, a context in which freedom of expression is severely restricted and critical voices face systematic state censorship. In a society where traditional media are tightly controlled, digital platforms have emerged as some of the few spaces for alternative discourse and civic engagement. The study focuses on young Evangelical influencers who, grounded in their faith, use these platforms to address social and political issues despite the risks involved. It argues that these actors navigate a complex landscape of surveillance, legal limitations, and potential reprisals, reshaping how religious and civic messages circulate. From an Evangelical perspective, the talk will explore the tension between ethical responsibility, prudence, and prophetic courage in the face of repression. Ultimately, it contends that the digital presence of these young believers represents both a form of contemporary Christian witness and a meaningful intervention in Cuba’s ongoing struggle for freedom of expression. 

Yaiset Matos is a journalist and communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in media, audiovisual production, and institutional communications in Cuba and the United States. She has contributed to initiatives related to religious freedom, human rights, and social-impact communications, including a media campaign developed under a US Department of State program. Her professional background includes editorial, journalistic, and production work for Christian organizations and international media outlets. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Havana and a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Global University. Born and raised in Cuba, Yaiset came to this beloved country in August 2017, along with her husband, Rev. Israel Matos—who was hired then by Every Home for Christ ministry—and their children Ana Rosa and Israel Jr. 

Abstract: “Extending the Kingdom of Heaven by Every Means Possible: Christian Creativity, Media, and Repression in Cuba” 

Drawing from the 2017 “Poder para Transformar” (“Power to Transform”) evangelistic campaign in Havana, this presentation explores the intersection of religious freedom, creative expression, media outreach, and state repression in contemporary Cuba. In a country where independent media, public religious expression, and civic association remain heavily conditioned by socialist ideology, Cuban Christians have developed remarkably creative ways to communicate the gospel and sustain public witness. 

The talk examines how churches and ministry leaders adapted a global megacity evangelistic model to the realities of a communist system that restricts access to mass media, monitors religious activity, and penalizes unauthorized public expression. Through testimonies, firsthand experiences, and documented cases of censorship and intimidation, the presentation traces the preparation, execution, and aftermath of the Havana campaign, including surveillance, threats, disruption of events, and pressure from State Security forces. 

At the same time, the talk highlights the resilience and ingenuity of Cuban believers who transformed word-of-mouth communication, small printed materials, personal networks, and emerging digital platforms into tools for evangelism and public engagement. The broader Cuban context—including censorship laws such as Decree 349 and Decree-Law 370, restrictions on Christian media, and state control over cultural institutions—provides a framework for understanding how faith communities navigate authoritarian control while continuing to proclaim their message. 

Ultimately, this presentation argues that the Cuban church’s experience reveals both the fragility of fundamental freedoms under totalitarian systems and the enduring capacity of faith, creativity, and peaceful resistance to transcend repression. 

Journalist, writer, documentary filmmaker, and author of several non-fiction books, Yoe Suárez specializes in narrative and investigative journalism. He holds a master's degree in education and communication from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. The 42nd Miami Film Festival screened the film Cuba's Eternal Night, where he was one of the producers. His last book is Hoz y cruz. 

Abstract: “Art, Nonviolent Struggle, and Evangelicals in 21st-century Cuba”  

The inherent clash between the socialist worldview and Christian ethics explains why the Cuban evangelical community—which includes notions of the Church such as its membership and institution—has provided key figures and moments in the resistance to totalitarianism in the first quarter of the 21st century. Thus, due to its practical results and mobilizing capacity, it became the most important force in civil society against Castro's policies between 2018 and 2022, and a source of the voices on social media that led independent political communication toward 2025. In this environment, the arts have also played an expressive and mobilizing role, as demonstrated by the research in the book Hoz y cruz.

Mauricio Vega is an art director and designer. He graduated from the Design Institute in Havana and is the founder of the independent art and thought publication Supervivo, and the independent arts festival Festivo, in Cuba. He was featured at the 2021 Creatives Forum North America, with the speech “Arts Community in a Time of Censorship: The Cuban Art Scene.”  

Abstract: “Surviving in Contemporary Cuban Visual Arts” 

“With the revolution, everything, against the revolution, nothing”—this is the climax of a famous Fidel Castro speech given to a room full of intellectuals. Since the beginning of the Cuban Revolution, all forms of Christianity and all forms of art and creativity were targeted; they aimed to either control and fund them or to censor and crush them. It’s curious that the Cuban communist regime didn’t settle for holding the political and military power in the island. They were in for the transformation of the culture, the shaping of a social engineering, “a new man” in words of Che Guevara. How do you then survive as a Christian and artist independent from the regime?