In 2024, Communist Cuba continues its reign as the champion of censorship and violation of press freedoms in Latin America. Despite stiff competition from its socialist allies in Latin America such as Venezuela and Nicaragua, Cuba retains its title as the absolute worst country for press freedoms.
Via Reporters Without Borders:
Cuba remains, year in and year out, the worst country for press freedom in Latin America
Media landscape
Televisions, radios, and newspapers are all closely monitored by the government. The constitution prohibits privately owned media. Tele Rebelde and Cubavisión are the leading TV channels, and Radio Reloj is the radio station with the most listeners. Granma is the most widely distributed newspaper, and like all media, it is under state control. Independent journalists are closely watched by state security officers, who try to restrict their movements and periodically interrogate them, deleting information from their devices.
Political context
Miguel Díaz-Canel, a protégé of Raúl Castro, replaced the latter in 2019 as the country’s president, and then as first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party. Like Raúl Castro and his late brother Fidel, who had ruled since 1959, he maintains almost total control over news and information.
Legal framework
Access to the Internet is still mostly controlled by the state. Bloggers and journalists can express themselves online but do so at their own risk. They are often subjected to harassment that may range from being held for questioning to being placed under house arrest to prevent them from covering major events. The dream of an open, free and inclusive Internet was rendered even more distant by new regulations in 2021 that completely violated the right to freedom of expression and information in the digital domain. A new penal code adopted in 2022 reinforces the repertoire of Cuban repression with vague terms such as “public disturbances”, “contempt”, and “danger to constitutional order” that can easily be used as grounds for prosecuting journalists.
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Anything is acceptable to preserve the “revolution.” Too many foreigners are vested in its survival. Bastards.