The Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC) in Guantánamo held an open house at the pre-university school Américo César Deslís Hernández in the municipality of Manuel Tames, aiming to spark interest in the field of Journalism among tenth and eleventh grade students due to the declared shortage of communicators in the province.
The initiative originated from the coordination between UPEC and university journalism students from the municipality of Manuel Tames, and it marks the first time the organization has approached this educational institution with that purpose, reported the official newspaper Venceremos this Saturday.
Taimi Fernández Pérez, president of the UPEC in Guantanamo, acknowledged that the action is aimed directly at "those areas with a shortage of communication professionals."
During the meeting, the young people learned about academic training, professional development opportunities, and the social role of the media. They also engaged in discussions with university students who shared their experiences and motivations for choosing that career.
Estrella Padilla, the director of the school, positively assessed the initiative and emphasized the need to show new generations "the social utility of a profession committed to research, information, and public service."
The event takes place amidst a structural crisis that threatens the survival of state journalism in Cuba. At the VI Plenary of the UPEC National Committee held on July 22, the dean of the Faculty of Communication at the University of Havana revealed that only 17 students enrolled in Journalism for the 2026-2027 academic year, the lowest number recorded.
Representatives from Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, and Las Tunas presented the challenges of sustaining journalistic work in their provinces during that same session.
The causes of the collapse are multiple. Salaries in state media do not exceed 5,060 Cuban pesos per month, which is less than seven dollars at the current exchange rate in the informal market.
Starting from the 2024-2025 academic year, women aspiring to study Journalism must fulfill one year of Mandatory Military Service, a requirement unprecedented in other university programs. Only 49% of enrolled students manage to graduate, and those who do often emigrate or seek better-paying sectors.
In 2025, only two eleventh-grade students took the aptitude test at the Manuel Ascunce Domenech campus of the University of Ciego de Ávila.
In September, the Faculty of Communication at the University of Havana launched an extraordinary call inviting students from other disciplines to transfer to Journalism.
The regulatory context exacerbates disillusionment. Decree 160, in effect since August 4 and signed by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, consolidates the state monopoly over the press and prohibits the practice of journalism by non-state economic actors.
Cuba ranks 171 out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.
Gabriel Hernández, a journalism student in Cuba, summarized the dilemma faced by those who still choose that career: "When I graduate, the very laws of my country will prevent me from practicing free journalism, without following the party line."
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