Miami, April 17, 2025– CPJ is alarmed by the arrest and prolonged pre-trail detention of Cuban freelance reporters Yadiel Hernández and José Gabriel Barrenechea, who both write for the online newspaper 14ymedio, and calls on Cuban authorities to release them immediately.
“The Cuban government continues to engage in a campaign of harassment and intimidation against the country’s non-state media in an apparent effort to force them into silence or exile,” said Katherine Jacobsen, CPJ’s U.S., Canada, and Caribbean program coordinator, from Washington, D.C.
Hernández, 33, was arrested January 24 while reporting on drug trafficking in a school in the city of Matanzas, according to 14yMedio. He is currently being held at the Combinado del Sur prison, accused of “propaganda against the constitutional order”.
Barrenechea, 53, has been detained for five months awaiting trial on a “public disorder” charge after he participated in a protest on November 8, 2025, in Encrucijada, Villa Clara, after power blackouts caused by Hurricane Rafael. He faces a potential sentence of three to eight years in prison. His family is concerned about his deteriorating health.
Cuba has intensified repression against journalists under a new Law of Social Communication, which came into force on October 4, 2024. virtually outlawing the practice of journalism outside the official state media. The new law was promulgated after anti-government demonstrations swept the island in July 2021, resulting in the prosecution of people who reported or shared videos of the events online.
In recent months, Cuban state security agents have questioned at least eight journalists and media workers from non-state media outlets, many in connection with alleged crimes against the state, leading several to flee the country. El Toque reported that between 2022 and 2024, at least 150 Cuban journalists went into exile due to harassment by state security agents.
Several journalists told CPJ that officers warned them to stop working as journalists outside of official state media, and told them it was a crime to participate in foreign-funded training and support programs, or to receive grants from foreign governments.
Cuban authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.