Withdrawal of recognition of EFE in Cuba causes a stack of penalties | Community

The decision by Cuban authorities to withdraw press credentials from the EFE agency group on the island last night has provoked a number of reactions from politicians and organizations ahead of a banned citizens’ march on Monday 15 demanding political change. To protect the freedom of the press and the press.

Today, the Spanish Foreign Ministry summoned officials from the Cuban embassy in Madrid, and in the absence of the ambassador, the head of the legacy asked Cuba for the first time about the move to Efe. There is no record of it being agreed on another occasion with the agency and the international news agency.

Also, official sources said that the Spanish embassy in Havana is making arrangements with Cuban officials to return the credentials to Efe journalists.

Leaders of Cuba’s International Press Center urgently called on an accredited Efe team in Havana this Saturday – three editors, a photographer and a TV camera – to clarify whether their credentials would be revoked without clarifying whether the operation was temporary or permanent. .

The arrangement was adopted one and a half months after the accreditation of Efe’s editorial coordinator in Havana was withdrawn.

Island officials warned the Efe Group that it could no longer carry out its press work and did not want to clarify the exact reasons for making this decision.

Gabriela Cañas, head of the Efe agency, said he hoped the Cuban government would “reconsider” the withdrawal of press accreditations for journalists in the media.

“Cuban authorities have withdrawn the accreditation of the Efe Noticias group in Havana. We hope the government will reconsider. The Efe Agency is an objective and responsible media outlet that has been publishing news on the island for more than 40 years.

And Fernando Carrea, the former head of the EFE agency, described the move on Twitter as “terrible news for Cuba, Spain and independence”.

The editorial board of the EFE Agency, the organization that oversees the media’s informants, has expressed its support for the workers of its delegation in Havana and is asking for their newspaper credentials to return to their work without hindrance.

The council, comprising five EFE journalists selected by their colleagues to defend the agency’s principles of independence and public service, sent a message of “warmth of solidarity” to its office-goers in Havana affected by the move by Cuban officials. “.

The European Union (EU) has demanded “explanations” from Cuban officials this Sunday over the withdrawal of press credentials from the EFE panel in Havana, which it believes is a “grave violation of freedom of expression.”

“We have seen the information. We are investigating it, we are seeking clarification from the Cuban authorities.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also condemned the move, calling it an “unacceptable attack on freedom of information.”

On Twitter, Reporters Without Borders warned that the EFE’s accreditation in Cuba should be restored, and that the EFE would closely monitor the security of Cuban journalists, and urged the Spanish government to make recommendations.

The Federation of Spanish Journalists (FAPE) has also called on the Pedro Sanchez government to mediate, so Cuba is “reconsidering” the move.

In a statement, the FAPE rejects the Cuban government’s decision as “tabled”, calling it a “clear violation of international standards of press freedom” and urging the Spanish government to “mediate efforts that it deems appropriate for Cuba.”

“The move is an attack on freedom of expression and information, and the EFE is trying to prevent the Spanish agency from continuing to report on the situation in Cuba with the professional, strict and impartiality it has always employed,” the president said. FAPE, Nemicio Rodriguez.

The International ACM Women’s Network Network strongly condemned the Cuban government’s decision and, from Rome, urged the World Association of Women Journalists and Writers (AMMPE) to “make their voices heard”. Considered a “serious attack on press freedom.”

“We urge our allies around the world, especially in Latin America, to listen to their voices before this move, which we consider a serious attack on press freedom,” says AMMPE, which was formed in 1969 in Mexico and is currently headquartered in Mexico. Rome

The International Association of Journalists in Chile (ACPI) has expressed its solidarity with the EFE agency “in the face of unforgivable abuse of press freedom – a fundamental right – that has been violated by its professionals in Cuba.”

Several international media outlets, such as Reuters or Euronews, reported that the recognition was withdrawn from the EFE in Cuba.