The inconsistencies of Mario Urquía, former Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Cuba

Havana, Cuba. – At the end of December 2023 I attended an end of the year dinner organized by the Federico Valdés Masonic Lodge, of the Cotorro municipality. We share a table, among others: Mario Urquía Carreño, then Grand Master (GM) of the Grand Lodge of Cuba (GLC), José Ramón Viñas Alonso, Sovereign Great Commander of the Supreme Council of Grade 33 for the Republic of Cuba; Ángel Santiesteban Prats, Mason of Grade 33; Airam Cervera Reigosa, Great Treasurer of the GLC, and I as the author of a Book of History of Freemasonry on the island.

At the time of the toast, when I lift my glass I said “homeland and life.” Some of those present nodded, others shut up, but Urquía said a phrase that summarizes their moral conception: “I don’t care ‘homeland and life’ as ‘homeland or death’; I am not in that.” All present were witnesses.

Almost two years later, I remember the event again because Mario Urquía has misrepresented him during An interview that granted the YouTube channel Gilo Fezzo-in the red cornerin which he tried to explain what happened “really” in Cuban Freemasonry since in January 2024 the scandal broke out for the alleged theft of $ 19,000 (USD) of his office in the GLC.

These constitute the first statements Public from Urquía a year and eight months of those events, which have climbed to cause divisions in Freemasonry and even complaints of the interference of government institutions and the Imposition of a GM.

Next, I verify some of the main approaches presented in the interview.

The interviewer

On Facebook, the interviewer appears as Ferrás Ferrásand in one of the publications He is identified as Gilberto Ferrás, a gazelle taxi driver in Havana. A source that requested to protect his identity, declared that he has known him for several years, since he worked as administrator of the Joe’s Bar establishment, located on the City Hall Street, between Conill and Tulipán, in Nuevo Vedado.

Both the interviewer and the interviewee insisted that they were not in a “official” space but in a personal channel. However, a simple profile review evidences that its content is openly probation: interviews appear to Randy AlonsoProgram spokesman Round table; to exagents of state security as Carlos Serpa Maceira and Raúl Capote; already Directors of Press media state. The channel has even reported Book presentations In the Fidel Castro Ruz center, where the entrance is strongly controlled and even more recordings.

In the interview in question, Ferrás only intervened to ask a question, always in favor of Urquía. At no time, he questioned his answers, despite being a controversial figure and there are evidence and accusations, for example, of his millionaire embezzlement to the GLC. The interview turned, at all times, around the justifications and points of view of Urquía. More than an interview, it was an exhibition space.

The interviewee

Mario Urquía, who resigned as GM in August 2024 for the corruption scandal and the rejection of the Masons, says he decided to give statements at this time because the processes against him have already been closed for him for the “alleged losses of money in the GLC” and in which, he says, he has no “implication”.

At the beginning of the interview, he tells what he estimates that were the “plans to discredit Cuban Freemasonry” and he as a great teacher. As he said, everything was orchestrated by the sovereign Great Commander, José Ramón Viñas Alonso, and the Masons Gerardo Cepero and Ángel Santiesteban. His story of the assumptions made was from the Masonic to the profane, mentioning isolated facts, without connection, and of which he did not present any evidence beyond his personal appreciation.

For example, he cited dinner at the Federico Valdés lodge and the toast as if he had been intentional on me that he defined himself politically, then spoke of alleged conversations in which the individuals who accuses him demanded that he removed from office the then Gran Secretary, Muiel Hernández for his links to the security of the State, or that another Mason by the regime.

All these are isolated facts and that, ultimately, they would not define a “plan” against them because, with that same lack of frontality regarding the situation on the island, most of the great teachers have behaved since 1959. Even so, they all finished their mandates normally and without interference, at least from within the institution.

Nor did he explain why these individuals they accuse would be so interested in discrediting Masonry, being Cuban Masons as well.

Ancient limits and policy in Freemasonry

Throughout his story, Urquía intended to show himself as the naive victim of people with “a fixation with the political”, who attacked him just because he remained firm in the defense of that principle of Freemasonry of “not mixing in politics.” And here it raises errors and contradictions that the Masonic order has dragged on the island for decades.

The old limits (al), those fundamental principles by which Freemasonry is governed in the world, establish that “the civil and political organization of the country in which it has a seat” must be respected ”. But what happens when that civil and political organization becomes dictatorship? What happens when the freedoms defended by masons such as “free men and good customs” are violated?

In Cuba there are plenty of examples of Masons who have fought against civil and political organizations. For example, the Ten Years War orchestrated in the Gran East Masonic Lodges of Cuba and Antilles (Goca). There were also Masons the main leaders of that independence feat, as well as José Martí. Both during the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship and in Fidel Castro, there were – and there are masons that fought – and fight – for respect for freedoms and the return to democracy.

For decades, Masonic fraternity, at least the Cuban, has shielded itself in the old limits (al) to justify its silence in the face of certain social aspects, something that, for many Masons, means not to understand them at all. The pretext has been that, within the order, it is forbidden to talk about politics or religion. Nothing is further from reality: they just say that Freemasonry “does not accommodate religion or politics debates” that is, discussions, and less from sectarian points of view, since they are aspects that fragment the unity of its members.

Cuban Freemasonry, historically, has raised its criteria on the most diverse social, cultural, scientific, political and religious aspects. Of course, this situation changed from 1959 due to censorship and repression of the regime. It is enough to read the Masonic press media, especially those of the Republic, to verify it.

Among the most fervent criticisms of the Masons then are those that headed against fascism and against dictatorships such as Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, in the Dominican Republic, and even socialism. Similarly, the order raised its voice during the two world wars and the national crises of different periods; already favor of the Spanish Republic and the Mexican Revolution. He has also expressed his visions regarding religious issues.

On the other hand, according to those, the Freemasonry “does not admit more difference between men than merit and demerit; no one rejects for their beliefs or opinions.” In the current Cuba, mired in the worst crisis of the last decades, with more than 1,000 political prisoners imprisoned by peaceful protests or by issuing their criteria in social networks, what the greatest demerit for the order on the island than to accept impositions from the security of the State or individuals linked to that repressive apparatus? Suppressing, hitting innocents or defending a criminal ideology are not simple “beliefs or opinions.”

The greatest expression of Masonic responsibility with the people and their freedom was seen when four days after the historical protests of July 11, 2021 (11J), the sovereign great commander, José Ramón Viñas Alonso, issued a letter to Miguel Díaz-Canel in the name of the Masons of High Degrees (members of the Supreme Council), rejecting the repression. For that letter, Viñas turned to a target of attacks by the political police, even being questioned and threatened with the prison. What Urquía Calla is that he, when supporting the Masonic prosecution and expulsion of vineyards (in a judgment without sufficient evidence or legal basis), became an accomplice of that repressive apparatus.

“Discredit campaigns”

Urquía blames Viñas, Gerardo Cepero and Ángel Santiesteban of “all this kind of situations”, that is, of the entire crisis in Freemasonry. As he said, they are the “architects.” In addition, he pointed to me, as a journalist of Cubanetof being part of the “discredit campaigns” on social networks against him and against the GLC. He said that everything has been a “prepared bed” with “tendentious news.”

Our audience can find in Cubanet Different reports of what happened with Freemasonry long before January 2024. My work in relation to the order on the island previously comes: my graduation thesis of the journalism career at the University of Havana (2016) was a documentary about the history of Freemasonry in Cuba. In 2022 I published a book as a result of these investigations (From the temple to temper, silences and scandals of Cuban Freemasonry). In 2023 I got to interview Francisco Javier Alfonso Vidal, GM who was exiled to flee the State Security, whose agents pressed him and even kidnapped him on public roads to convince him to expel Viñas Alonso from the Order.

All information published by Cubanet It has been properly investigated, corroborated and proven.

On two occasions I proposed to Urquía to interview him. In both I contacted whatsapp; The first time remained to let me know when I had time; The second, less than a week ago, did not even answer me.

Where is the money?

What Mario Urquía did not explain what everyone wanted to hear: the almost 5 million pesos that he and the former great treasurer, Airam Cervera, embedded the GLC and the alleged theft of 19,000 USD in their office in January 2024, when the crisis in the Freemasonry with repercussions until today would explode. These have been the greatest discredits for the order on the island and both have been linked to it.

On the USD 19,000 who “disappeared” from his office, he only said they were in a safe, which was also stolen, according to himself. But he did not mention that the door of that office was not forced and that he then declared the police that only he had the entrance key. Why, if he had nothing to do with that, tried to hide the alleged robbery? What has evidently bothered Urquía is for Viñas to refuse to be his accomplice in cover -up.

At the beginning of the interview he said that he had no “implication” with the “alleged losses of money in the GLC”, but in September 2024 he was accused before the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) for the embezzlement to the GLC of 4 million 752,410 pesos with 54 cents and of 2,700 USD. If nothing had to do with that, why did he return them recently? On the other hand, he now says that the USD 2,700 were in the same safe with the 19,000 “stolen” of his office, but that was not what he said in his statement to the police at that time. Too many inconsistencies.