The independent media outlet El Toque has once again become a target of attacks from the Cuban government, this time following a publication by a regime puppet that accuses it of "threatening the national economy" and being an instrument of "cyberterrorism."
The statement was made by journalist Henry Omar Pérez from the Cuban News Agency (ACN), which is aligned with the regime. He shared a post on Facebook titled "From El Toque and Other Demons," in which he accuses the outlet of manipulating the country's economic reality.
The Touch is a terrorist act of cyber attack on the Cuban economy and we still don't realize that it affects us all, while they manipulate things over there,” wrote Pérez, asserting that the site operates “under the cloak of supposed independent journalism” to distort the perception of the exchange rate in the informal market.
According to the journalist, who is by no means an expert in economic matters and therefore not even remotely an authoritative voice, the rates that El Toque publishes daily serve as a "thermometer of an unconventional economic war" and have a direct impact on the prices of goods and services.
However, Pérez conveniently omits in his "demonstration" that the suffocating prices in dollar stores, in a dollarized economy, are imposed by the regime, the leadership, and not by a media outlet.
“El Toque does not live here. It doesn’t stand in line. It doesn’t buy chicken at the price they themselves push. But every time they publish a rate, you definitely feel it in the market, in recharges, in taxis, in rent, and on your plate,” she wrote.
Pérez also stated that the United States employs algorithms and big data analysis to disseminate the content of El Toque among previously segmented Cuban users on social media.
"The increase in the value of the dollar is a clear political intention", he added, pointing out that "induced inflation" is a tactic used before against Nicaragua, Argentina, and Venezuela.
The journalist also lashed out at the director of El Toque, José Jasán Nieves, whom he called a "thug" and a "saboteur," accusing him of "emptying the pockets of Cubans" and being a "bootlicker of the imperialists."
Pérez's post adds to the discrediting campaign that state media and official spokespersons have directed against El Toque, especially since its platform has become one of the main reference sources for the informal exchange rate in Cuba.
In recent months, the media has been pointed at by regime officials as “responsible” for the rise of the dollar and public discontent, amid a context of uncontrollable inflation and loss of purchasing power.
However, those accusations aim to divert attention from the true source of the crisis: a system unable to ensure stability or well-being for its population.
Filed under: