SIP Denounces Persistent Press Freedom Restrictions in Cuba and Venezuela

The Inter-American Press Society (SIP) has released a report detailing ongoing restrictions on press freedom in Cuba and Venezuela. In Cuba, the SIP highlights an increase in the use of police and judicial mechanisms to pressure and repress independent journalists, leading to more detentions, summons, and trials. Notable cases include journalist Henry Constantín, imprisoned for allegedly disobeying a summons, and Mayelín Rodríguez Prado, sentenced to 15 years for interviewing minors during a protest. The SIP also points out obstacles to producing and distributing independent printed publications due to difficulties in obtaining paper, internet cuts, and low-quality connections. In Venezuela, while some progress has been made, such as the release or dismissal of cases against journalists and the partial lifting of digital blocks on media, mechanisms of control and persecution that affect access to information persist. The SIP warns that any partial advance will continue to be fragile until it translates into binding legal reforms.