José Luis Tan Estrada: I fled Cuba’s media repression so I could remain a journalist
Cuban journalist José Luis Tan Estrada boarded a plane in Havana last December because he thought exile was the only way to continue his career and protect his family. It was his first time on an airplane. Tan Estrada, 28, had faced escalating repression by Cuban authorities for months. After he was fired from teaching…
Several journalists flee Cuba after state agents question, pressure at least 8
Miami, October 11, 2024—CPJ is alarmed by reports that since mid-September, Cuban state security agents questioned at least eight journalists and media workers from non-state media outlets, many in connection to alleged crimes against the state, leading several to flee the country. “The Cuban government appears to be engaged in a campaign of harassment and…
Cuban journalist questioned about social media posts, jailed
Editor’s note: Tan Estrada was released on May 1 and fined 4,000 pesos (US$12) for alleged “criminal intent” after he was accused by state security agents of seeking to disrupt May 1 celebrations in Havana, according to an interview the journalist gave to CubaNet. Miami, April 30, 2024—Cuban authorities must immediately and unconditionally release jailed local freelance journalist…
A press freedom crisis unfolds in Latin America
As the number of journalists imprisoned globally for their work climbs to record highs, cases of those behind bars in Latin America remained relatively low. A total of six – three in Cuba, two in Nicaragua and one in Brazil – were in custody for their work as of December 1, according to the Committee…
How China’s Huawei technology is being used to censor news halfway across the world
When a staffer at the independent media website Iwacu in the central African state of Burundi tried to visit the outlet online in late October, they received an error message instead. “Hum. Nous ne parvenons pas à trouver ce site;” the site could not be found – even though the local media regulator had promised…
Camila Acosta speaks from house arrest about covering Cuba’s historic protests
“I am not free, but at least I am out of the dungeons,” Camila Acosta told CPJ via messaging app after her release to house arrest on July 16 following a four-day detention for covering the recent protests in Cuba. Acosta, who is based in Havana, covered protests on July 11 for the Cuban independent…
Journalists detained and harassed, internet disrupted amid Cuban protests
Miami, July 14, 2021 — Cuban authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all detained journalists, stop disrupting internet access in the country, and allow the press to cover protests freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since July 11, protests have erupted in several Cuban cities, with demonstrators calling for the end of the country’s…
Cuban journalist Jorge Enrique Rodríguez detained amid protests, awaiting trial
Miami, July 2, 2020–Cuban authorities should immediately release journalist Jorge Enrique Rodríguez and stop harassing the independent media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 28, security forces arrested Rodríguez, of the independent news site Diario de Cuba, and took him to the criminal processing center known as ‘Vivac in Havana, according to…
CPJ, Amnesty International, Article 19 urge Cuban President Díaz-Canel to release jailed journalist Roberto Quiñones
CPJ, Amnesty International, and Article 19’s Mexico and Central America office write to Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez to call for the immediate release of jailed journalist Roberto de Jesús Quiñones Haces amid the sweeping COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuba sentences journalist Roberto Quiñones to one-year prison term
Miami, August 8, 2019–A municipal court of the Cuban city of Guantánamo yesterday sentenced Roberto Jesús Quiñones, a contributor to the news website CubaNet, to one year in prison on charges of “resistance” and “disobedience,” according to advocacy group Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and of the Press and media reports.