The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Incident

Cuba: Prime Minister Fidel Castro publicly criticizes Havana newspapers that questioned his government, September 1959

CubaRSF rank: not recorded

Engraving of an empty press briefing room with a lectern and rows of chairs

In a September 28, 1959 television appearance, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro criticized Havana newspapers, including Diario de la Marina, that had questioned his government's actions, along with the Inter American Press Association's decision to examine press freedom in Cuba. Diario de la Marina answered the next day that the revolutionary government limited the press in ways short of formally shutting it down, and other independent papers joined the objection.12

What happened

On September 28, 1959, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro used a television appearance to criticize Havana newspapers that had questioned his government's actions, as well as the Inter American Press Association's decision to take up whether press freedom existed in Cuba, according to a CIA intelligence bulletin from the following week. Havana's Diario de la Marina, Cuba's oldest and largest daily and a paper with Catholic and conservative backing, answered in a September 29 editorial that the revolutionary government limited the press in ways short of formally shutting newspapers down. Other independent Cuban papers joined the objection, in what the CIA account called the first such open exception to Castro's public statements since the government took power on January 1, 1959. The dispute continued into 1960. On May 11 of that year, unions of Diario de la Marina's own workers took over the paper, accusing its publisher of taking direction from the United States embassy; the publisher took asylum in the Peruvian embassy in Havana.1324

What reason was given

Stated justification

The record reviewed here does not include Castro's own stated reasons for criticizing the newspapers; a CIA account said his September 28, 1959 remarks reflected concern over mounting difficulties facing his government's program.1324

What changed for reporting

Diario de la Marina and other independent Cuban newspapers openly disputed Castro's characterization of their coverage, and the following year, on May 11, 1960, unions of Diario de la Marina's own workers took the paper over, forcing its publisher into asylum at the Peruvian embassy.3

Timeline

1959

28 September 1959
Cuba: Prime Minister Fidel Castro publicly criticizes Havana newspapers that questioned his government, September 1959

Who acted

NameRole in this incidentOffice at the time
Fidel CastroannouncedPrime Minister of Cuba

Outlets and journalists

NameKindRelation
Diario de la Marinaoutletaffected

Sources

  1. CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 1 October 1959 (declassified)CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 1 October 1959 (declassified), 1959-10-01, primary. Source record
  2. CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 14 May 1960 (declassified)CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 14 May 1960 (declassified), 1960-05-14, primary. Source record

Claims and evidence

Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.

  1. Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro criticized the press and other critics of his government's program in a September 28, 1959 television appearance, which a CIA bulletin said reflected concern over his government's mounting difficulties.Prime Minister Fidel Castro's attack of 28 Septem- ber on press and other critics of his revolutionary program re- vealed a concern over his increasing difficulties.CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 1 October 1959 (declassified), CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 1 October 1959 (declassified), 1959-10-01.Claim 868, checked 2026-09-26.
  2. Other independent Cuban newspapers joined Diario de la Marina's objection, which a CIA bulletin called the first such open exception to Castro's public statements since the government took power on January 1, 1959.It was, surprisingly, joined by other independent pa- pers, in the first such strong and open exception to Castro's words since the revolutionary victory on 1 January.CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 1 October 1959 (declassified), CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 1 October 1959 (declassified), 1959-10-01.Claim 870, checked 2026-09-26.
  3. Diario de la Marina answered in a September 29, 1959 editorial that the revolutionary government limited the press in ways short of formally shutting newspapers down, according to a CIA bulletin.did not back down under the attack but charged ed- itorially on 29 September that press freedom is limited by the revolutionary government in many ways short of censor- Ship.CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 1 October 1959 (declassified), CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 1 October 1959 (declassified), 1959-10-01.Claim 869, checked 2026-09-26.
  4. Unions of Diario de la Marina's own workers took the newspaper over on May 11, 1960, accusing its publisher of taking direction from the United States embassy, and the publisher took asylum at the Peruvian embassy, according to a later CIA bulletin.Cuba's oldest and largest daily, the anti-Communist Diario de la Marina, was taken over on 11 May by unions of its workers, who accused its publisher of taking orders from the US Embassy. He has taken asylum in the Peruvian Em- bassy.CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 14 May 1960 (declassified), CIA Central Intelligence Bulletin, 14 May 1960 (declassified), 1960-05-14.Claim 871, checked 2026-09-26.