Miami (April 14, 2020) .- The exercise of freedom of the press and expression in Cuba continues to be marked by the same restrictions as always, the report by the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) stressed.
According to the semi-annual report, the government maintains a monopoly on information, restricts telecommunications and internet access.
The report highlights that 11 journalists were detained, 24 were prohibited from leaving the country and that the independent journalist and lawyer Roberto de Jesús Quiñones continues to serve a prison sentence. José Daniel Ferrer, whose organization also practiced citizen journalism, remained incarcerated for more than six months.
In the last semester, the authorities seized journalists' work equipment, searched their homes, harassed their relatives and hacked their accounts on social media. The government also blocked several websites that belong to media and independent organizations.
The IAPA also issued a resolution condemning the restrictions and urging the government to stop the practices of persecution and harassment against journalists, their families and sources.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 publications from the Western Hemisphere; and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
