Cuban Journalists Face Intimidation After Defying Police Summons

June 26, 2025 – Cuba – 

Independent Cuban journalists Yunia Figueredo and Frank Correa, both affiliated with the community news site Amanecer Habanero, have been subjected to threats, surveillance, and intimidation by Cuban authorities after refusing to comply with a police summons issued on June 23, 2025. Figueredo, the site’s director, received the official order to appear at a police station. When she refused, both she and Correa—who also reports for the outlet—began receiving anonymous phone calls warning them that they were under investigation for “dangerousness,” a vague legal charge in Cuba frequently used to silence dissent and intimidate critics.

In the days leading up to and following the summons, police officers were stationed outside the couple’s home in Havana, effectively placing them under informal house arrest without a warrant. This form of surveillance, along with the threatening calls, has raised alarms among press freedom groups. The Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (ICLEP), which oversees Amanecer Habanero, described the harassment as part of a wider pattern of repression targeting community journalists across the island.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the Cuban government’s actions, emphasizing that journalists must not be threatened for refusing legally dubious summonses. CPJ’s Latin America program coordinator, Katherine Jacobsen, noted that such tactics are emblematic of Cuba’s escalating crackdown on independent media, especially under its recently adopted Communications Law. The law severely restricts non-state media operations, foreign funding, and any reporting outside of official government narratives.

Both Figueredo and Correa have long covered community issues such as inflation, housing shortages, and public discontent—topics that often draw the regime’s ire. Despite the threats, they have continued their journalistic work, though under immense psychological pressure.

This incident highlights the Cuban government’s increasing use of extra-legal intimidation against journalists, especially those associated with grassroots, community-led reporting. As the state tightens its grip on media expression, the space for independent journalism is rapidly shrinking, putting reporters at constant risk and depriving Cuban citizens of vital, uncensored information about their society.

Reference – 

Cuban journalist targeted with threats, intimidation after refusing police summons

Cuban journalist targeted with threats, intimidation after refusing police summons