Sandy Cancino began his professional career as a successful independent Cuban audiovisual producer, but since 2018, he has become an influential leader and social organizer within civil society.

That year, he founded the Havana Pastoral Unit (Unidad Pastoral de La Habana), a structure linking the social work of denominations boasting tens of thousands of followers across the island. He was also a key figure in the “For the Original Design” (Por el Diseño Original) campaign, which opposed restrictions on economic and religious freedoms — as well as on the family — contained in the 2019 Castroist Constitution. That campaign achieved the largest collection of signatures against a state policy in the history of Cuban totalitarianism: approximately 180,000.

Cancino has worked with the Spanish-language divisions of news outlets such as CBN News and has produced short films and feature-length movies depicting the reality of life in the country. In 2017, he won the Best Project in Development Award at the International Radio and Television Festival for the children’s series “Castillo del Rey” (King’s Castle); however, the state-run Cuban Institute of Radio and Television subsequently obstructed the production of the first season, and the project never saw the light of day. The censorship likely stemmed from the fact that the project was infused with Christian values — something anathema to socialism.

Despite facing arrests, threats from the regime, and years on a “regulated” list (designating individuals barred from leaving the country), Cancino continues to pour his energy into initiatives aimed at changing Cuba. He does so even when these initiatives are counter-cultural or politically incorrect according to the progressive sensibilities that dominate both official circles and certain groups that perceive themselves as independent.

His current focus is the fight for the Right to Life. In this interview, we discuss his latest role as president of the ministry Pasión Vida Cuba.

What is Pasión Vida Cuba? When was it founded, and what is its mission?

Pasión Vida Cuba is part of the international ministry Pasión Vida LATAM and an extension of PassionLife. We focus on teaching faith leaders how to defend life through “The 4 Questions” workshop; and to motivate trained pastors to subsequently share it with their congregations.

Furthermore, we aim to form teams dedicated to evangelism, prayer, prevention, and care for women in crisis; through these teams and the training provided, we seek to save unborn babies from death and rescue families from spiritual and psychological condemnation.

Pasión Vida Cuba was founded in 2016. Although the initiative was initially presented to many pastors, it was embraced by only one church — an Eastern Baptist church in Playa Siboney, Santiago de Cuba. It remained based there until I assumed national leadership in 2023. Since then, we have established a presence in 13 of the country’s 15 provinces.

Our mission is to advance the Gospel of Life, replacing the culture of death prevalent in Cuban society. Through missionary work dedicated to the pro-life cause, we focus specifically on bringing resources, education, and practical aid to every corner of the country.

What is the state of Cuban society today regarding abortion? Which views do you think prevail, and why?

A culture of death exists in Cuba, the result of materialism instilled by the imposition of a communist ideology that has fractured the family. When the family unit is broken, the nation’s soul is damaged: people become callous and ruthless, and a state of orphanhood emerges.

Abortion is one of the most extreme expressions of this state of orphanhood. A nation that fails to value the fruit of the womb — even if only in minimal or instrumental terms as a vital asset for its development — is destined to disappear.

There may be many ways to defend abortion, but on the island, the prevailing view used to justify death is the alleged “woman’s right” to end her own child’s life for her own benefit or that of her partner.

What attitudes did you encounter in the churches you visited when you first began speaking about the issue of abortion?

Abortion was a topic rarely discussed within the church; People talk about it today, though still with fear.

We find that abortion is also, sadly, present within the church. People know it is wrong, yet when the issue hits close to home — within the family — they look to abortion as a “way out.” I have heard testimonies revealing that some pastors even recommended abortion to members of their congregations.

Initially, we encountered a great deal of apathy regarding this issue in evangelical churches. It was viewed as a “women’s issue,” and it took a lot of effort to get some leaders to understand the importance of this cause.

Curiously, in 1948, Cuba produced the most famous radio soap opera in the Ibero-sphere — “El Derecho de Nacer” (The Right to Be Born) by Félix B. Caignet — which was broadcast by the national network CMQ Radio. It was an authentically pro-life production; however, the national culture has since degenerated into a culture of death. Could you outline the history of abortion in Cuba?

I would begin my account in 1936 with the Social Defense Code, which permitted the “interruption” of pregnancy only under three specific circumstances: danger to the mother’s life, rape, or the risk of transmitting a serious hereditary disease. Apart from these cases, abortion remained a criminal offense.

With the advent of the socialist Revolution, a process of social decriminalization and an “end to clandestinity” took place in 1961. Just two years after the Revolution’s triumph, the government lifted the ban on elective abortion. In 1965, following World Health Organization recommendations, Cuba systematized the procedure, offering free and accessible abortion services within the National Health System’s hospital network.

Then, in 1979, the Penal Code was reformed to define what constituted a “lawful abortion.” It established that abortion was illegal if performed for profit, without the woman’s consent, or outside regulated hospital facilities — all of which were state-run at the time. Medical guidelines set the limit for elective abortion at 12 weeks of gestation.

In 1986, Cuba recorded the highest number of abortions in its history: over 160,000. Toward the end of that decade, the use of abortion as a method of contraception began to be questioned internally by health authorities, who were compelled to launch family planning campaigns.

In 2019, Article 43 of the new Constitution explicitly “shielded” women’s sexual and reproductive rights, guaranteeing that the State would ensure their “full exercise.” And in 2023, the new Public Health Law stipulated that medical professionals cannot invoke conscientious objection, subjecting those who refuse to perform the procedure to legal and professional sanctions.

What encourages you in this battle for the Right to Life?

Three factors encourage me. First, my own story. I was slated for abortion, but God saved me through an aunt. My parents didn’t have a home in Havana and considered aborting me, but she told them to go ahead with the pregnancy and promised she would look after me.

Then, understanding my nation’s ailment. Cuba is drowning in the blood of millions of aborted children; according to the Bible, God does not overlook the death of the innocent and abhors the shedding of their blood. Many of the demographic crises plaguing the Cuban nation stem from low birth rates and the exodus of those who are born. Cuba is dying because the prevailing political system is killing it with its anti-Cuban laws.

Thirdly, I am encouraged by revealing God’s word to my people: showing the church and society the importance of saving lives and rescuing one’s neighbor who is on the path to death.