On December 7, 1978, he was named Bishop of Pinar del Río by His Holiness Pope Saint John Paul II. He was consecrated on January 14, 1979, in the Cathedral of Matanzas and on January 21 he took possession of the Diocese.
Here he found a diocese of great Catholic religiosity, with a very committed and participative laity, which he promoted. He also promoted the founding of religious communities and the holding of diocesan meetings of what today we would call pastoral commissions. Due to the shortage of priests, he himself served parishes and chapels in the countryside.
In Pinar del Río he worked for three years, which significantly influenced the soul of the bishop. “This Diocese is a moral reserve of the Nation,” the prelate would say years later.