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The recent death in Miami of the singer Alfredo “Alfredito” Rodríguez (1951-2026) was acknowledged by the official Cuban press, yet almost all media avoided mentioning the location of his passing, in a new exercise of symbolic censorship that once again highlighted the contradictions in the state discourse.
The passing of the popular singer on January 23 forced the state media on the island to report on a figure impossible to erase from the country's cultural memory.
However, since the statement from the Cuban Institute of Music (ICM) to outlets like Granma and Cubadebate, the coverage carefully avoided mentioning the exact location of his death, as if it were an inconvenient or morally inappropriate detail, noted journalist Wilfredo Cancio Isla.
The omission was almost complete. “Only Juventud Rebelde took the liberty of stating that he died in... the United States,” noted the reporter through his Facebook profile.
The rest of the media merely reported the death in a concise, formal manner, lacking context, confirming a common practice of the authorities: to inform without fully informing when the data touches on the sensitive topic of exile and, in particular, of Miami.
"At this point, nothing should surprise us about the Cuban press and its scribes. This is a minor detail amidst the farce of omissions we have grown accustomed to. However, it is truly laughable that in a country facing a rampant and devastating crisis at all levels, there is still time for censorship to focus on such simple matters as censoring the 'forbidden city,'” he remarked.
Cancio pointed out that the contrast is even more striking because the announcement came shortly after the Cuban government published the Transparency and Access to Public Information Law in the Official Gazette on January 9, presented as a step towards a “truthful, comprehensive, and participatory” management.
"We shouldn't deceive ourselves with laws and documents issued by a spurious regime that has mastered the strategies of manipulation and centralized control of public information. Yet, the fact that there is still the ability to scrutinize and worry about not mentioning where a popular singer dies is an unmistakable sign that our country is in a dire state, and reversing this nightmarish spectacle known as decaying Castroism is going to be extremely exhausting," he argued.
The censorship of a basic piece of information, such as the location of a popular artist's death, reveals, to many observers, the gap between legal discourse and the everyday practice of information control.
Alfredito Rodríguez, one of the most beloved voices in Cuban popular music for decades, passed away far from the island at the age of 74, but his absence could not be overlooked.
What was carefully avoided was naming the place where his life ended, a minimal detail that ultimately became an eloquent metaphor for the state of official journalism in Cuba.
The news of his passing was announced by his family on social media, quickly provoking a wave of reactions filled with affection and recognition.
His son, the talented pianist Alfredo Rodríguez Jr., wrote an emotional message in which he vowed to continue with the tour that was set to begin the following day: “I will keep going ‘Palante y Palante’, just as you would have wanted, and we will meet again.”
From Miami to Havana, from international stages to the emotional memories of those who saw him grow as an artist, Alfredito was bid farewell with a shared sentiment: gratitude.
Numerous Cuban artists from various fields have also expressed their sorrow, including Albertico Pujol; Carlos Otero, Mirtha Medina, Rebeca Martínez, Pancho Céspedes; Rojitas; Amaury Gutiérrez; Jorge Ferdecaz; Laritza Bacallao; Yuliet Cruz; Marcos García, and Andy Vázquez, among others.
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