Risky Business

Reporter Without Borders has released its Press Freedom Roundup for 2007.
Being a reporter is about as risky as being a convenience store clerk in South Florida with 86 journalists killed in 2007. That’s up 244% over 5 years, according to RWB.
Cuba, with 24, is second only to China, with 33, in the number of imprisoned journalist. 3 of the 24 Cubans in jail were arrested after raul castro took over after fidel bust a gut back in July of 2006, by the way. Per capita, however, Cuba ranks first.
In Cuba, of course, only Cuban reporters are imprisoned since they are the only ones that are interested in reporting the truth about what goes on in Cuba. Castro’s jails are probably the only facilities built by the regime reserved almost exclusively for Cuban citizens.
The foreign press, well they go on libreta diets, drink mojitos and write about how Cuba’s moribund economy and its corrupt, brutal dictatorship are actually good for the environment and how the chronic food, housing and transportation shortages have resulted in a healthier population with increased life expectancy.
The names of the imprisoned independent Cuban journalist is below the fold.

Cuba (24)
13 April 2007 – Oscar Sánchez Madan, Cubanet
23 January 2007 – Ramón Velázquez Toranso, Libertad Agency
29 November 2006 – Raymundo Perdigón Brito, Yayabo Press
9 November 2005 – Alberto Gil Triay Casales, Cubanet correspondent
24 March 2003 – Normando Hernández González, CPTC Agency
20 March 2003 – Omar Moisés Ruiz Hernández, Grupo de Trabajo Decoro Agency
20 March 2003 – Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta, APLO Agency
20 March 2003 – Alejandro González Raga, freelance
19 March 2003 – Alfredo Felipe Fuentes, freelance
19 March 2003 – Mijail Barzaga Lugo, ANC Agency
19 March 2003 – Pablo Pacheco Ávila, CAPI Agency
19 March 2003 – Julio César Gálvez Rodríguez, freelance
19 March 2003 – Fabio Prieto Llorente, freelance
19 March 2003 – Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez, Grupo de Trabajo Decoro Agency
19 March 2003 – Adolfo Fernández Sainz, Pátria Agency
18 March 2003 – Alfredo Manuel Pulido López, El Mayor Agency
18 March 2003 – José Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernández, Grupo de Trabajo Decoro Agency
18 March 2003 – Ivan Hernández Carrillo, Pátria Agency
18 March 2003 – Víctor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, UPECI Agency
18 March 2003 – Miguel Galván Gutiérrez, Havana Press Agency
18 March 2003 – Pedro Arguëlles Morán, CAPI Agency
18 March 2003 – Omar Rodríguez Saludes, Nueva Prensa Agency
18 March 2003 – José Luis García Paneque, Libertad Agency
18 March 2003 – Ricardo González Alfonso, De Cuba Agency, RSF correspondent