Cuba: Journalists face escalating harassment under new social communications law

These recent incidents of persecution came in quick succession. On October 3, Yennys Hernández Molina and her wife, Annery Rivera Velascofreelance journalists, both published on Facebook that they renounced “collaboration with and/or participation in media or projects of an independent nature and/or that are considered subversive or contrary to the interests of the Cuban government,” after being questioned by the National Revolutionary Police. The next day, October 4, freelance journalist María Lucía Exposito was interrogated by state security agents for more than six hours.

On October 7, three days later, a slew of journalists were targeted. Four directors of local print media affiliated with the press freedom group Instituto Cubano para la Libertad de Expresión y Prensa (ICLEP) — Juan Manuel Moreno Borrego by Amanecer Habanero, Orlidia Barceló Pérez by El Espirituano, Mabel Paez Diaz by El Majadero de ArtemisaAnd Antonio Suarez Fonticine by Pages Villareñas – were all interrogated and threatened with halting their journalistic activities. Also a freelance journalist Yadira Alvarez Betancourtwho had previously been interrogated and forced to resign, was subjected to further humiliation when the National Revolutionary Police forced Betancourt to retract the same public declaration of resignation they had pressured her into.

The next day, October 8, Lucy G. Morella photographer and documentary filmmaker who works with the non-profit media outlet Periodismo de Barriowas summoned and interrogated by state security agents and forced to publicly resign. The next day, October 9, Adriana NormandA freelance journalist for digital media such as Hypermedia Magazine And El Toquewas forced to resign, and José Luis Tan Estradaa freelance journalist who worked for media such as digital media Cubanetwas summoned by the National Revolutionary Police, who threatened him with charges under the Social Communications Act.

Year after year, Cuba remains one of the lowest ranked countries in Latin America on RSF’s World Press Freedom Index due to the government’s tight control over all media, carried out through severe legal restrictions and the continued intimidation of journalists.