Violations of press freedom in Cuba increased by 129.4% during September 2026, rising from 17 reported incidents in August to 39, according to the latest report from the Cuban Observatory of Freedom of Expression (OCLE), affiliated with the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and Press (ICLEP).
The report, published on Tuesday, October 20, documented 134 violations of freedom of expression and the press, arising from 106 incidents recorded in September.
The total figure represents an increase of 8.9% compared to August and 57.6% compared to the same month in 2025. However, the most significant increase was recorded in assaults against journalists and independent media workers.
Out of the 134 documented violations, 39 affected press freedom and 95 impacted the freedom of expression of citizens, activists, and opponents. The same event can include multiple violations, so the figures do not necessarily represent different episodes or victims.
The abusive use of state power topped the repressive indicators, with 49 recorded instances, followed by threats and psychological aggression (48) and arbitrary detentions (26).
The State Security was identified as the institution most involved in the documented events, linked to 51 episodes. Havana accounted for 63 of the 106 incidents recorded nationwide.
Journalists and their families under pressure
Among the highlighted cases, the case of journalist Henry Constantín Ferreiro, director of the independent media outlet La Hora de Cuba, stands out. He was detained on September 16 in Camagüey after responding to a police summons.
Constantín was placed under preventive detention for the alleged crime of "disobedience" and was transferred to Kilo 7 prison on September 24. His imprisonment sparked condemnation from international organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, which called for his immediate release.
The report also highlights the harassment against journalists Yunia Figueredo and Frank Correa, who reported police threats and pressures that extended to their family environment.
On September 4th, a sector chief of the police informed Figueredo that he was required to report monthly at a police station and to avoid any contact with the United States Embassy.
One day earlier, two agents had gone to the university where one of his daughters studies to request information about her, as documented by the OCLE.
The Observatory recorded 30 incidents related to journalists in its database of identified victims, compared to 29 involving political prisoners, the two groups with the highest representation in the September registry.
ICLEP warns that the figures could be higher due to the victims' fear of reporting, reprisals, and the difficulties in obtaining information within Cuba.
The data, as of September 30th, may be updated in the OCLE Barometer as new cases are verified.
During all of 2025, the organization documented 1,188 violations of freedom of expression and press, an increase of 54.7% compared to 2024. Cuba currently ranks 160 out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.
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