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The film critic Juan Antonio García Borrero questioned the lack of rigor in official journalism in Cuba, noting that in the face of tragedies such as the recent multiple hit-and-run incident in Havana, the focus should be on demanding the truth rather than repeating delayed accounts dictated by those in power.
"I miss those times when one would open the newspaper and feel that they could find the Truth. It doesn’t matter that later, thanks to another journalistic investigation, one would learn that the Truth is permanently being sought," wrote the intellectual residing in the city of Camagüey on his Facebook account.
He reported that today in Cuba, the press is limited to publishing what it is authorized to, without delving into the political interests that shape the official narratives.
The incident that occurred on August 25, resulting in one woman dead and eight injured, was the example used to illustrate how the victims are once again overlooked.
In their opinion, what mattered for journalism should be the human suffering and the need to clarify facts with transparency.
“But among us, it seems that the Truth has taken a back seat. First, it’s no longer even important to report (days, weeks, and years go by, and nothing is said), but then, if something is reported, it’s because the 'enemy press' has distorted the Truth, they say, and the order is to set the record straight, and with weeks of delay (which in the age of digital networks feels like centuries), they present the official version,” García Borrero reflected.
And he went on to say: “You find plenty of journalists who, instead of digging deeper to seek the Truth, are pleased that at last the authorities who should be held accountable release a brief statement with their sole version of the events, albeit belatedly.”
The Prosecutor's Office revealed just this Thursday, September 4, the identity of the accused, the Italian citizen Mario Pontolillo, 56 years old, after more than a week of silence.
The delay fueled rumors of a cover-up, after the independent newspaper 14ymedio mistakenly pointed to another Italian businessman close to the regime, which was later refuted.
The institutional silence and the dependence of the official press on brief statements lead to tragedies like this being quickly forgotten, García Borrero denounced, while “once again the victims are trampled upon, and hardly anyone seems to care, because that singular Truth (the one of panic, pain, and homicidal madness) will only touch those who suffered the tragedy.”
The incident resulted in the death of Mairovis Valier Heredia, a 34-year-old woman and mother of three. Her family has publicly denounced the secrecy of the authorities and demanded justice.
The accused has been identified as Mario Pontolillo, 56 years old and a permanent resident in Cuba, who is currently under precautionary measures of provisional detention and a travel ban, as specified in the official statement from the Attorney General's Office.
The report stated that Pontolillo is under investigation for a “deliberate act of running over individuals with the car he was driving on the public roads of the municipalities Centro Habana and Habana Vieja,” an action deemed serious as it affects collective safety.
The Prosecutor's Office states that “investigative procedures are being carried out for the presentation of evidence and the completion of investigations” and that it will exercise public criminal action before the Court, seeking sanctions proportional to the seriousness of the events.
The official statement came after more than a week of government silence and speculation, following the publication of an investigation by the independent media 14ymedio, which had pointed to Berto Savina, an Italian businessman with strong ties to the Cuban regime, as the perpetrator of the crime.
The accusation was publicly rejected by Savina's son, Gianluca Savina, who asserted that his father had been in Italy since August 19, six days prior to the incident.
Hours later, the official spokesperson Humberto López denied his involvement, which many perceived as a maneuver by the regime to protect the powerful businessman.
For days, the Cuban regime avoided revealing the identity of the detainee, which fueled perceptions of cover-up, especially due to Savina's connections with powerful figures such as the dictator Fidel Castro (1926-2016) and Miguel Díaz-Canel, documented in photographs and reports.
A recent televised debate in Cienfuegos, regarding the role of the press, highlighted the self-censorship and fear of Cuban journalists regarding reprisals, which affects their work.
Journalists working in state-run media face a strict editorial line dictated from the offices of the Ideological Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.
If at any point they decide to leave it, they are victims of constant reprisals, censorship, and harassment by State Security.
Various international organizations have repeatedly condemned the lack of press freedom in Cuba. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have described the country as one of the most repressive in terms of information, where the government maintains a monopoly on the dissemination of news and criminalizes the practice of independent journalism.
While the official discourse insists on presenting an image of informational transparency, the reality of the press in Cuba reflects the complete opposite.
Orlando Cruzata, director of the Lucas Awards, admitted in April that he resorts to censorship as part of a "cultural policy", to prevent negative remarks about the "revolution."
"Of course, we will not allow anyone to speak negatively about the revolution on television, it's part of our cultural policy, just as we should not denigrate women, homosexuals, or anyone else with different religious beliefs," he said in an interview with the official portal Cubadebate.
Frequently Asked Questions about the multiple hit-and-run incident in Havana and the role of journalism in Cuba
Who is responsible for the multiple hit-and-run incident in Havana?
The person responsible for the multiple hit-and-run in Havana has been identified as Mario Pontolillo, a 56-year-old Italian citizen with permanent residency in Cuba. The Attorney General's Office reported that Pontolillo is in provisional detention and faces a travel ban while the investigations are ongoing. The incident, which occurred on August 25, resulted in the death of Mairovis Valier Heredia and left eight people injured.
Why was there such a delay in revealing the identity of the accused?
The late revelation of Mario Pontolillo's identity as the accused in the multiple hit-and-run in Havana raised suspicions of cover-up by the Cuban regime. For more than a week, the government remained silent, which fueled speculation and rumors, especially after another Italian businessman with ties to the regime was mistakenly identified as a suspect. This secrecy strengthens the criticism regarding the opacity and lack of transparency in the Cuban government's crisis management.
What is the role of the official Cuban press in these types of incidents?
The official Cuban press has been criticized for its lack of rigor and transparency in covering incidents such as the multiple hit-and-run in Havana. In Cuba, official journalism tends to limit itself to publishing what is authorized by the authorities, without delving into the political interests behind the official accounts. This results in a biased coverage that disregards the victims and prioritizes the government narrative, which is a constant concern among critics and advocates for press freedom on the island.
What impact has this case had on public perception of justice in Cuba?
The case of the multiple hit-and-run in Havana has fueled the perception of impunity and institutional cover-up in Cuba. The opaque handling of the incident and the prolonged silence from the authorities have reinforced the idea that justice in Cuba is subordinated to the control of the official narrative. This has generated distrust among the population, who see how the victims are ignored and the perpetrators protected, according to some critics.
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