After the death of Fidel Castro, Cuba’s political and economic future remains unclear. But two things are certain in the island nation: a lavish funeral for the communist revolutionary leader and regular broadcasts of Marxist media.
The national flag will fly at half-mast and the next nine days will be dedicated to a period of national mourning, the Cuban Foreign Ministry announced Saturday. In addition, all television and radio channels “will be airing informative, patriotic, and historical programming.”
There will be plenty of material to cover. The most prominent Marxist-Leninist in the Western Hemisphere, Castro ruled Cuba for nearly five decades. Because of Cuba’s strict censorship, there won’t be much variety.
Cubavision and the four other state sanctioned stations will handle any television programming, while several of the national radio stations will air the audio content. Chances are good there won’t be much to choose from and there certainly won’t be anything critical of Castro.
While the Cuban constitution guarantees freedom of the press, censorship is strict and the state owns all mass media. Intimidation and arrest of journalists aren’t unusual. In one infamous 2003 episode remembered as “the Black Spring,” authorities arrested 79 journalists and political dissidents overnight.
There are few avenues for the flow of information outside state channels. Less than a quarter of Cubans have access to the Internet, according to Amnesty International, and fewer than five percent of homes are connected to the web.
That makes Cuba “the worst Latin American country in terms of press freedom,” according to Reporters without Borders. Compared to the rest of the globe, the island nation doesn’t do much better. Iran, Russia, and Rwanda all enjoy more freedom of the press than Castro’s Cuba, according to Reporters Without Border’s 2016 press freedom index.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
