Paris, February 3, 2026. – During the Information Meeting convened by UNESCO's Communication and Information Sector to present the results of the report "Global Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development 2022-2025," the Permanent Delegation of Cuba to the Organization denounced the new and severe escalation of the US economic blockade against the Island, qualifying it as a flagrant violation of International Law and an act of political harassment that undermines the conditions for the full exercise of the rights to communication and information.
The Third Secretary of the Delegation, Laura Alvarez Delgado, intervened to reflect on the global challenges diagnosed by the UNESCO report – which warns of the serious deterioration of freedom of expression and the increase in disinformation worldwide.
The Cuban diplomat highlighted that, in contrast to the restrictive trends noted in the document, Cuba has advanced its legal framework with the recent entry into force of the Law on Transparency and Access to Public Information, aligned with its Constitution. This law, she explained, establishes clear guarantees for citizens to request and receive public information, promoting institutional transparency and reinforcing principles of accessibility, non-discrimination, and accountability, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 16.
However, Alvarez Delgado stressed that "freedom of expression and access to information cannot be separated from the economic and technological conditions in which countries operate." On this point, she denounced the intensification of unilateral coercive measures and the US Blockade against Cuba, referring specifically to the Executive Order announced by that government on January 29, 2026, which seeks to further restrict fuel supplies to Cuba and pressure third countries to strangle the Island's economy.
This action, she affirmed, "aggravates economic constraints that also affect access to technologies, connectivity, and international cooperation essential for communication, education, and scientific exchange." The diplomat noted that this escalation occurs "accompanied by a campaign of disinformation and manipulation of the facts," directly referencing the unfounded accusations and "defamatory lies" contained in the text of the executive order, which falsely presents Cuba as an "unusual and extraordinary threat."
The intervention connected this denunciation with the Declaration of Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 1, in which the country categorically rejects such imputations and reaffirms its "zero tolerance" policy towards terrorism and money laundering. The delegation emphasized that Cuba is a country of peace, that it constitutes no threat to the security of the United States or any other nation, and that it is willing to engage in serious and respectful technical cooperation to confront common transnational threats.
Faced with this context of economic siege and narrative manipulation, the Cuban representation reaffirmed the Island's commitment to multilateral cooperation and joined UNESCO's call to protect journalists, promote information integrity, and ensure that all societies can benefit from inclusive and equitable access to knowledge.
Cuba's intervention before this specialized UNESCO forum placed the discussion on freedom of expression and media development within the broader framework of sovereignty, the right to development, and the fight against unilateral coercive measures, reminding the international community that the full realization of communication rights requires an international environment free from economic aggression and disinformation campaigns.