Miami (June 6, 2025) — The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expresses deep concern over the recent increase in mobile internet fees in Cuba, describing it as an indirect censorship mechanism that deepens the informational isolation of the population and restricts the right to freedom of expression.
The new commercial measures, announced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and implemented on May 30 by the state-owned Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA), limit to 360 Cuban pesos (CUP) — equivalent to about 1 dollar in the informal market — the maximum amount a user can recharge to their main balance within a 30-day period. The informal market is the only practical option for the Cuban population in terms of currency exchange.
With this amount, customers can only access a 6 GB data plan. Those wishing to purchase additional packages will have to pay much higher prices: for example, a plan with an extra 3 GB of data costs 3,360 CUP (around 9 dollars), according to information available on the official ETECSA website and press reports. This contrasts sharply with the island's minimum monthly wage set at 2,100 CUP (about 5.5 dollars).
ETECSA, which holds a monopoly on communications, justified the changes as part of a set of economic measures aimed at obtaining foreign currency "to sustain the telecommunications network and continue offering services in national currency." The company also announced that data plans can be used on 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, and that some packages will offer more data at reduced prices, although always within the 360 CUP monthly recharge limit.
Nevertheless, IAPA warned that these restrictions represent a threat to the exercise of digital rights. "Unfortunately, this measure will affect communication for ordinary Cubans, as well as the work of independent media and journalists, and critical voices that depend on the internet to disseminate and access alternative information," said José Roberto Dutriz, President of IAPA and CEO of La Prensa Gráfica from El Salvador.
Martha Ramos, President of IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, agreed: "The so-called 'tarifazo' restricts citizens' ability to inform themselves, express themselves, and participate in public debates online." Ramos, editorial director of the Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM), added that "this suffocating measure adds to existing barriers to internet access and constant state surveillance of digital communications, creating an atmosphere of self-censorship and fear of reprisals."
Despite its slow speed and high cost, internet access in Cuba has been an essential channel for freedom of expression and the circulation of information. The new measures, which according to the BBC have sparked widespread discontent, could further consolidate state control over the flow of information and limit citizens' contact with the outside world.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.