The umpteenth offensive against independent journalism was unleashed in September in the form of subpoenas, preceded by different measures of psychological harassment by the authorities. As with every new election in the United States, the dictatorship tries to tie down civil society, especially the scarce and battered independent journalism.
Young and women journalists were harassed, summoned, threatened by State Security agents, and forced to be filmed by the secret police, with demoralizing statements about their work. These statements will indeed be edited and shown on denigrating television programs, as has happened on other occasions. They were also confiscated their work property and salaries, while their relatives were threatened. Annery Rivera, Yennys Hernández Molina, Yadira Álvarez Betancourt, and María Lucia Expósito were among the victims.
Mayelín Rodríguez Prado was sentenced in May to 15 years in prison after participating in a protest against blackouts and poverty. Her crime was interviewing and broadcasting videos of two girls beaten by Interior Ministry agents during that demonstration.
Lázaro Yuri Valle Roca is the only independent journalist released from prison during this period. He was released due to his deplorable state of health and medical neglect. He agreed to emigrate with his wife. Journalist Jorge Bello continues to be imprisoned since he joined the protests of July 11, 2021. He has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
El Toque, a U.S.-based digital newspaper on Cuban issues, was the target of a campaign to discredit it by the government propaganda apparatus. El Toque monitored the continuous devaluation of the peso. It calculated the daily value of the peso against the dollar based on the purchase and sale offers published on social networks. The official campaign blamed El Toque for the devaluation.
In October, the Social Communication Law came into force, as well as decrees 101 and 102 of 2024, which regulate it and strengthen the repression of freedom of the press.
In August, Decree 107 was published in the Official Gazette, which in its section 1 (arts. 59 to 61, 63 to 66 and 69) prohibits to all private economic actors the "edition and layout of (--) newspapers, tabloids, and magazines in any format or support," the professional audiovisual production, the exhibition of documentaries and other cinematographic works, radio and television transmissions -and their programming-, all facets of the management and offer of Internet services and the management of news agencies.
Several independent journalists were arrested, assaulted, and followed by agents of the Ministry of the Interior. Among them, Camila Acosta, after attempting to interview relatives of prisoners of the protests of July 11, 2021; Dagoberto Valdés, Catholic intellectual; Yoandy Izquierdo, member of the board of directors of Revista Convivencia; José Luis Tan, journalist and humanitarian activist, who was also fined for his critical publications in social networks, and journalist Julio Aleaga.
Many citizens were assaulted by the police for their Facebook posts, in addition to being summoned, arrested, and convicted. Since January 2023, the young Sulmira Martínez has been awaiting her trial following a writing in which she incited to protest.
Adisbel Bueno, Aroni Yanko García, Asdrúbal Kindelán, Liuber Caballero, Ernesto Salazar, Rey Asiel Naranjo, Consuelo Rodríguez, Lázaro Roberto Aguiar, Juan Luis Bravo arrested for critical posts on social networks. Catholic priests Castor Álvarez and Kenny Fernández were threatened for their denunciations on Facebook. The list is incomplete; most do not make official or public denunciations for fear of reprisals.
House arrests against independent journalists on special dates such as May 1 and July 11 continue. Almost all the reporters of the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and Press (ICLEP) suffered this punishment, among them Boris González Arenas, Camila Acosta, and José Luis Tan. Veris Curbelo Aguilera was detained to prevent him from attending a trial against peaceful demonstrators, and Vladimir Turró after leaving the besieged house of the leader of the Ladies in White. Laura María Labrada and Niurka Ortega were arrested for distributing independent ICLEP bulletins.
The board of directors of the digital music magazine Magazine Am/Pm announced its closure due to harassment by State Security.
The internet connection of some communicators has been cut or slowed down before and after these dates.
In addition to maintaining surveillance with plainclothes agents over his home and contacts, the director of La Hora de Cuba and regional vice-president of the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information in Cuba, Henry Constantin, received several threatening messages through a relative as a result of the publication of reels on Instagram; he was warned that State Security was after him.
Several independent journalists are "regulated" in the public interest (prohibition to leave the country). Among them, Reinaldo Escobar, Camila Acosta, Anais Remón, Henry Constantin and Armando Sardiñas. The condition required to authorize them to leave the country is that they do not return.
Journalist José Luis Tan was detained when he tried to travel to Havana around May 1. He was taken to Villa Marista, the central detention, interrogation, and torture center of the political police. For four days, he was humiliated, locked in solitary confinement, and deprived of sleep. He was subjected to other humiliations without any pretext, except that he traveled to Havana and because of his publications on social networks.
