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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the detention of two content producers from the independent media outlet El 4tico in eastern Cuba, and demanded their immediate release from the authorities, as well as respect for the free flow of information on the island.
The creators Ernesto Ricardo Medina and Kamil Zayas Pérez were arrested by the police on February 6th in the city of Holguín, according to close friends, a video of the incident, and a report published by El 4tico.
During the detention, agents seized computers, mobile phones, cameras, and other equipment that both were using to document daily life and activism activities in the region.
So far, her relatives claim that her whereabouts are unknown and that they have not been informed of any formal charges against her, the CPJ stated.
Critical voices on social media
Medina and Zayas had become well-known on social media for posting short satirical videos about daily life in Cuba and expressing criticisms of the government. According to journalist Yoani Sánchez, founder of the media outlet 14ymedio, El 4tico had gained thousands of followers in the eastern part of the country, a region where access to independent information is limited.
"In a country where independent media is scarce and often repressed, content creators like Ernesto Ricardo Medina and Kamil Zayas Pérez play an important role in public information," stated Katherine Jacobsen, coordinator of the United States, Canada, and Caribbean Program at CPJ.
"The Cuban authorities should release them without delay and allow the free flow of information in the country," he added.
"My only crime is saying what everyone sees."
Before his arrest, Zayas left a written message that was later published on social media, in which he denounced the political nature of his detention.
"I am not arrested for theft, assault, drug trafficking, or any common crime. I am arrested for the only 'offense' that a dictatorship cannot tolerate: daring to look them in the eye and speak aloud what we all notice: their blatant failures, their chronic inefficiencies, their systemic injustices, and the oppression that crushes the dignity of an entire people," he wrote.
The CPJ reported that it attempted to contact Cuban authorities to obtain information about the whereabouts of the detainees, but did not receive a response to its request sent via WhatsApp.
Concern for press freedom on the island
The international organization recalled that in Cuba, independent media face constant pressure, surveillance, confiscation of equipment, and arbitrary detentions, severely limiting the practice of journalism and freedom of expression.
The case of Medina and Zayas once again puts the situation of content creators and independent journalists on the island under international scrutiny, amidst a climate of increasing information control and repression.
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