Censorship in Cuba
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Censorship in Cuba has been reported on extensively, and resulted in European Union sanctions as well as statements of protest from groups, governments, and noted individuals.
In August of 2006, the Cuban government announced a warning to owners of illegal television satellite dishes, citing as a concern that the United States could use the dishes to transmit programming with "destabilizing, subversive content." [1]
Sanctions, imposed by the European Union in 2003 as a response to a massive crackdown, were not renewed in 2006, in spite of a finding by the EU council that "the state of human rights had deteriorated" since sanctions were initially imposed. 20 reporters imprisoned in 2003 are still in jail, including Guillermo Fariñas, who is on a hunger strike and is denied Internet access. [2]
The Office for Cuban Affairs of the United States government issued a statement praising the Global Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations (GCCPFO) for their efforts to bring attention to the “unjust jailing of journalists” in Cuba. GCCPFO called for release of the imprisoned journalists, end to government reprisals against journalists, and loosening of restrictions on allowing visas for journalists. [3]
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[edit] Internet use
Private Internet access is banned, leaving less than 2% of the population with access. Cuban officials, however, blame the United States' trade embargo for the low Internet usage, as fiber optic cables are not available. According to communications Minister Ramiro Valdés; "Despite the fact that international fiber optic cables run very close to Cuban shores, the rules of the (U.S.) blockade prevent connection to these." Washington agreed to Cuba's connection to the Internet in 1996, but opposed its connection to any fibre optic cable, "meaning that the nation is forced to use a satellite channel with a mere 65 Mbps (megabytes per second) broadband for output and 124 Mbps for input."[4] Trade agreements with Venezuela in 2007 arranged for the creation of a new undersea fiber-optic cable running from the South American mainland to Cuba, which would take two years to complete.[5]
Web activity is monitored for those who do gain access. Sentences for "subversive" activities on the Internet are severe, ranging from five years for illegal connection to the Internet, to twenty years for writing a "counter-revolutionary" article for a foreign website.[6]
[edit] Chronology of events
- 1963 - Cuba begins to jam foreign radio broadcasts
- 2006 - Cuba jams Radio Republica, a clandestine broadcast to Cuba on 7205 kHz.
[edit] External links
- Reporters Without Borders
- Imprisoned journalists
- Atlapedia on Cuba
- ALA and IFLA, Access to Information and Intellectual Freedom in Cuba
- Information Without Borders
[edit] References
- ^ Thompson, Ginger. "Cuba: Warning On TV Dishes", New York Times, August 10, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
- ^ "Dismay at the European Union’s decision not to re-impose Cuba sanctions", Reporters Without Borders, 2006-06-04. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
- ^ Green, Eric. "U.S. Lauds Press Freedom Advocates’ Criticism of Cuba", News From Washington, United States Government, 2006-11-06. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- ^ Snail's-Pace Internet Is Washington's Fault IPS
- ^ Cable to Expand Cuba's Internet Capacity International Business Times
- ^ Sprinkle, Timothy. "Press Freedom Group Tests Cuban Internet Surveillance", 2006-11-08. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
