Cuba: 'State-Run Media' and a Must-See Documentary
Recently, The War on Cuba, a documentary about life in Cuba, was screened in Havana bringing new attention to the film
Since Donald Trump won the election, Cubans on the island knew that the next four years would be trying. Now, that Trump has taken office and appointed Marco Rubio as the Secretary of State, Cubans have a better idea of what that might look like. With just a few strokes of a pen, the Trump administration came down hard on Cuba reinstituting sanctions the island has not seen in years.
Despite that, the decision to use Guantanamo Bay to house migrants is bringing attention to how and why Cubans suffer, the U.S.’s occupation of the island and its presence there over a century also started many conversations in online spaces about the oppression of Cuba and the inhumane sanctions imposed on it.
‘State-Run Media’
The closure and dismantling of USAID will likely lead to the closure of media outlets whose employees Elon Musk referred to as “radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money." The media outlets broadcast all over the world and are meant to provide media access to countries where the free press is restricted. For example, platforms largely funded by the agency broadcast and publish in Cuba are CubaNet and bigger outlets like Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe.
While many people around the world have for decades referred to the outlets as state-run propaganda channels, Trump’s Special Envoy, Richard Grenell, who recently negotiated with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, reinforced this idea by calling them “state-run media” outlets in a post on X.
“Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are media outlets paid for by the American taxpayers,” said Grenell. “It is state-owned media. These outlets are filled with far-left activists. I’ve worked with these reporters for decades. It’s a relic of the past. We don’t need government-paid media outlets.”
Grenell also retweeted a thread from WikiLeaks showing some of the spending and the powerful people at the heads of the agencies. Last week, he retweeted someone claiming USAID established corrupt entities in Croatia and retweeted another user who claimed that the Iranian regime and leftist anti-Trump activists have infiltrated the Farsi broadcasts of VOA and RadioFarda.
While there are many things to criticize these programs for, once again, the political right is missing them. These moves suggest that the Trump administration not only wants to use aid as a bargaining tool by bringing USAID to the State Department but also to control news media narratives both domestically and internationally. As we’ve recently seen, they are sparing no expense on propaganda.
For an administration that acts concerned about U.S. influence and dominance, it seems to be doing what it can to undermine it as fast as possible.
The War on Cuba
The recent screening of “The War on Cuba” at the Acapulco Cinema during the VI International Conference for World Balance in Havana, Cuba, brought more awareness about the reality of life in Cuba, and the four-year-old documentary itself. The six-part series, available on YouTube, is a must-see for anyone willing to question what they’ve been told about Cuba.
The series was created by Belly of the Beast, a group of independent journalists telling the untold true stories of the people, in their own words, from inside Cuba.
Watch “The War on Cuba” below presented by one of my favorite (and best) journalists in the world, Liz Oliva Fernández.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
A Special Ask, From Liz Oliva Fernández
I recently received an email from the crew at Belly of the Beast. That message contained a special ask from Liz Oliva Fernández and I thought I would share it.
Below is the text of her request.
“My mother is a dedicated urologist who has been fighting to improve the quality of life of her patients for decades. Even in the face of scarcities caused by the U.S. embargo, she would often perform life-saving surgeries other doctors refused to due to limited supplies.
“Before falling ill with the migraine that would ultimately lead to her hospitalization and diagnosis, the last thing my mom did was perform a six-hour surgery where she removed kidney and bladder tumors from a patient.
“My mother also served on a medical brigade in Venezuela to bring medical care to impoverished and underserved sectors of the population and she is a cherished professor at her hospital, having trained medical students from Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and more.
“She was featured in a documentary I presented about the impact of U.S. sanctions on Cuba (Episode 2)
“Aside from her medical work, my mom is also a beloved daughter, collaborator, and member of her community. She loves to dance and enjoy live music, discover new places to eat around the city, and spend time with family, including my dad Ivan and my 88-year-old grandmother Aleida, who has dementia.
“The medication that my mom has been prescribed, Osimertinib 80mg (sold as Tagrisso), is highly specific and highly expensive, with a month’s worth of medication (30 tablets) going for $7,942 and a year’s worth of the medication costing $95,283.
“Her doctors have recommended that she take the medication for two years, and it is not recommended that the medication be stopped at any moment.
“As you can imagine, the cost is prohibitive for my family and me, and the longer we wait the longer my mother goes without receiving the care that she needs.
“Here are three ways you can help us in this trying time:
“Send us leftover doses of Tagrisso that you or those in your community may have. Be in touch via my husband, Justin Jiménez at justin.raf.jimenez@gmail.com
“Contribute financially to help us purchase doses of the medication (Through Justin via Venmo or PayPal).
“PLEASE ONLY PUT “Support for Lyhen” IN THE SUBJECT/PAYMENT LINE. Please do not mention Cuba or sanctions or include the Cuban flag emoji as that can lead to the funds being frozen.
“NOTE: For donations of over $1000, please contact us directly via email at justin.raf.jimenez@gmail.com
“Share our story to your networks including e-mail lists, community organizations, medical nonprofits and more.
“Thank you for helping us get this life-saving medication.”
I’m a freelance journalist. Find my work at Latino Rebels, Unicorn Riot, The Antagonist Magazine, and more. I’m also on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads. To support my work, become a paid subscriber or donate via Venmo, PayPal, or CashApp.
The price of that medicine is insane!!!
Also, I'm definitely bookmarking that show and will watch it later.