Madrid Spain.- This May 3 marks World Press Freedom Day, which since its establishment, in 1993, has the objective of remembering “that a free, pluralistic and independent press is an essential component of any democratic society.”
This date was chosen by the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the Windhoek Declarationin which the representatives of the African media who participated in a seminar organized by UNESCO in Namibia, drafted a document in which they collected the principles of freedom of the press.
On its official website, the United Nations remember that “every individual has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the right not to be disturbed because of his opinions, to investigate and receive information and opinions, and to disseminate them, without limitation of borders, by any means of expression”.
Therefore, on World Press Freedom Day, governments are reminded that freedom of expression must be respected.
However, this May 3, the island’s regime keeps Cuban journalists under harassment and repression.
Precisely this Tuesday, the Association for Freedom of the Press (APLP) of Cuba denounced that during the month of April in Cuba there were 25 new attacks against 18 journalists; a common practice of the regime to try to silence those who report the reality of the country.
It also emerged today that Cuba, as in previous years, during 2021 was the worst country in Latin America in terms of press freedom. The Island was located in position number 173, almost at the end of the list, in the Classification World Press Freedom Conference held annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
In addition, last week, on the eve of May Day, more than twenty independent journalists and activists were summoned, threatened, detained or besieged by the Cuban political police, in the midst of a wave of repression to intimidate them and prevent them from participating in “ violent and provocative actions” during the parade called by the regime.
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