Dissident says Cuba regime has unleashed ‘repressive fury’

GUADALAJARA, Mexico: Trailblazing blogger Yoani Sanchez said on Saturday the Cuban regime has hit any sign of discontent with “repressive fury” and warned that a new penal code seeks to stifle independent journalists.

Sanchez, who lives in Havana, said a flareup of street protests in 2021 jolted Cuba´s ruling party and led to strict controls. “Repressive fury was unleashed. We have more than 1,000 political prisoners,” Sanchez said during a panel at the International Book Fair of Guadalajara, a major annual trade and ideas forum.

Sanchez said she worried about the impact of a new penal code approved by Cuba´s parliament last May that went into effect last week. “The most harmed, the main victim (of this code) is independent journalism, information and the free flow of news,” she said.