Spain's Efe considers leaving Cuba after journalists' credentials withdrawn

Most local media is operated by the state, though some independent outlets have emerged in recent years. Cuban officials have not specified why they withdrew the credentials of some of the agency's staff, but the island's state-run media has said Efe's reporting was biased and sought to fan the flames of the planned rallies in November.

The Spanish state-owned newswire Efe, which has a large reach in Latin America, is considering leaving Cuba after several of its staff on the island had their credentials withdrawn, its president Gabriela Canas said on Wednesday. Efe said the Cuban authorities withheld the visa for a team member appointed in July. They withdrew all credentials to Efe's workers in November, just prior to planned protests, though two were quickly reinstated, it said.

"We are starting to evaluate our presence on the island. If we cannot practice journalism freely, there is nothing more we can do," Canas said at an event in Madrid, according to a video posted on Efe's website. Foreign journalists are allowed to work in Cuba only with the permission of the communist-run government. Most local media is operated by the state, though some independent outlets have emerged in recent years.

Cuban officials have not specified why they withdrew the credentials of some of the agency's staff, but the island's state-run media has said Efe's reporting was biased and sought to fan the flames of the planned rallies in November. Those protests fizzled under government pressure. Efe is down to two staff with official credentials in Cuba, a writer and a video reporter, from seven in mid-2021, Canas said.

Cuba's embassy in Madrid did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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