Cuban Santeros Seek Spiritual Healing for the Nation

As Cuba embarks on a new year filled with fears, shortages, and ominous signs, Santería priests and priestesses stepped out this Sunday to ask for something both basic and urgent: peace.

Amid a backdrop of increasing tension with the United States and an unrelenting economic crisis, they engaged in Yoruba chants, ritual sacrifices, and collective prayers in Havana.

The scene, depicted by the Associated Press (AP), unfolded in the courtyard of an old house, where dozens of babalawos and devotees gathered to appeal for health, harmony, and spiritual protection for the Cuban people.

Clad in white, surrounded by offerings, and shaded by a lush mango tree, they invoked Eggun, the deity of the ancestors, and later Azowano, one of the representations of Saint Lazarus, a deeply revered figure on the island.

"It's not just about religion, but about easing the burden of what lies ahead," explained Lázaro Cuesta, a priest who organized the ceremony, to AP. For many attendees, the ritual was a means to confront the collective fear as the year began with geopolitical upheavals and signs of escalating economic hardships.

By the close of December, the babalawos had already warned, through the traditional Letter of the Year, of potential conflicts, violence, and tensions that would impact Cuba and the world in 2026.

Days later, the international stage seemed to validate those predictions: On January 3, the United States executed a military operation in Caracas resulting in the capture of then Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the death of 32 Cuban soldiers who were part of his security detail.

The repercussions were immediate on the island. Venezuela is a key political and economic ally of the Cuban regime, and the upheaval shook both the ruling elite and the populace.

In this atmosphere of uncertainty, religion is once again taking a central role in the daily lives of many Cubans. The 2026 Letter of the Year, released on January 1 by the Cultural Association of Yoruba in Cuba, had already highlighted a cycle marked by ongoing conflicts, increased social and domestic violence, health issues, and persistent migratory exodus. It also called for reinforcing family harmony, respecting traditions, and seeking spiritual support to navigate a country growing increasingly fractured.

During Sunday's ceremony, several hundred people lined up to be symbolically "cleansed" with live chickens amid ancestral chants. Among them was Yusmina Hernández, a 49-year-old housewife, who captured the sentiment of many: "As religious people, we try to ward off all the negativity that comes into our lives."

The offerings included hard-to-find foods such as eggs, beans, and corn, a detail not lost on attendees, highlighting the extent to which the crisis permeates even the most sacred rituals. "This is done for the good of society, so there is no conflict or violence," Eraimy León, a 43-year-old babalawo, explained to AP while observing the ceremony's conclusion.

In a Cuba where the economy is suffocating under harsher sanctions, where migration continues to tear families apart, and where the future seems increasingly uncertain, Santería remains a refuge, a source of comfort, and a warning. For many, asking the orishas for peace is not merely symbolic, but a vital necessity facing a 2026 that, from its early days, already promises to be an uphill struggle.