SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico – Independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, a correspondent for CubaNet in Camagüey, he was interrogated on Wednesday, October 9, by State Security, which issued various threats and accused him of contributing to “social degradation” through his humanitarian aid efforts.
The account of the “interview” conducted by agents identified as Cristian and Laura reveals the intimidation tactics used by the Cuban political police to harass independent journalists. For two hours, Tan Estrada was subjected to threats and slander from the repressors.
CubaNet was brought up during the interrogation, according to the journalist’s testimony: “According to them, all of us who work at CubaNet are destined to degrade and demoralize the “achievements of the Revolution,” and “none of us are journalists because we don’t have that qualification and it’s a media outlet that doesn’t belong to the State.”
They also intimidated him with the new Social Communication Law, claiming that he was “on the path to committing crimes as mercenary and spreading propaganda against the government.” At the same time, they expressed their “concern” about his journalism and humanitarian efforts, as, in the agents’ opinion, Tan has become “the face of the counterrevolution in the province.”
As in previous summonses, they showed him a file they had compiled with all of Tan’s social media posts and alleged statements, which they have never actually witnessed shown him.
They also mentioned journalist José Raúl Gallego, who, according to agent Cristian, had trained Tan at the university and is now “demonstrating aggressive behavior against the country on social media.”
Additionally, they referred to activist Yamilka Lafita, known as Lara Crofs on social media: “According to Laura and Cristian, neither Lara nor I provide aid out of sentiment or from the heart, but rather to contribute to social degradation.”
In response to this latest episode of harassment, Tan Estrada asserted that he will not stop his journalistic work, stating that his “pen and ink will always reflect the feelings and stand beside the ordinary Cuban, showing their reality.”
As a critical voice against the Cuban regime and a defender of human rights on the island, the Cuban dictatorship has kept him impressed and subjected him to long interrogations.
Tan’s Humanitarian Work
The journalist has carried out humanitarian efforts that go beyond his journalistic activity to help those most in need.
In September, he created and is currently leading a solidarity initiative to help children in poverty and abandonment in the province of Camagüey.
With a relief campaign launched to provide resources and support to children in conditions of extreme vulnerability, he has been able to extend a helping hand to dozens of children, who have received school supplies such as backpacks and pencils, as well as clothing, shoes, personal hygiene products, and snacks.
In exclusive statements to CubaNetTan Estrada explained that the campaign arose after he personally witnessed the difficult living conditions of several children living in “very remote neighborhoods in Camagüey, neighborhoods that even the provincial authorities don’t know exist.”
According to the journalist, these children face “a situation of abandonment, poverty, and illness,” which led him to turn to the solidarity and empathy of his social media followers to gather resources.
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