The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, ordered the withdrawal of U.S. government funds from the independent portal CubaNet, as part of the Trump administration's policy to suspend foreign assistance.
The measure represents a significant blow to the work of independent media operating from exile and giving a voice to journalists within Cuba.
In the opinion of Roberto Hechavarría Pilia, director of the news agency, the decision significantly complicates its continuity.
"It will be extremely complicated to maintain our work as it has been conceived until now," he stated to Diario de Cuba, after being informed of the end of the grant by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
CubaNet, founded in 1994, is regarded as the pioneer of independent journalism in Cuba and has served as a platform for journalists on the Island, allowing them to expose the reality censored by the regime.
"Our goal has always been to counteract the propaganda of the Castro regime. Without this funding, the government in Havana will have greater freedom to intensify its propaganda and repression," Hechavarría stated.
The cancellation of funds to CubaNet is not an isolated incident. At the end of January, several independent exile media outlets were notified of the temporary suspension of assistance while the U.S. government reviewed its financing of international programs. However, last week, in the case of CubaNet, the suspension became permanent.
According to the received notification, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Peter W. Marocco, director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources at the State Department and designated deputy administrator of USAID, determined that the funding program for CubaNet "was not in the national interest." As a result, they decided to terminate and rescind it.
For Hechavarría, the most serious consequence of this decision is that CubaNet will be unable to fulfill its mission with the necessary effectiveness.
"What is happening with independent Cuban journalism, civil society, freedom of expression, and the struggle for democracy in Cuba is a step backwards, just as the Castro regime is at its weakest point," he denounced.
Furthermore, he warned about the geopolitical significance of the measure: "Cuba remains a totalitarian regime just 90 miles from the United States, allied with Russia, China, and Iran. Undoubtedly, for Havana, it is good news that efforts to oversee its actions are being reduced."
Source Cibercuba