Same data, opposing narratives
Covered across the spectrum
4 verified sources
A new shipment of humanitarian aid from the US arrived in Cuba through Caritas to help families affected by Hurricane Melissa. Spain also completed the delivery of 18 photovoltaic kits for hospitals and social centers.
Context: Hurricane Melissa caused significant damage in Cuba, and international aid has arrived despite tense relations between the US and Cuba.
Coverage by political leaning
🔎 Why it matters: Both independent and central media covered the aid deliveries, although state media did not highlight US assistance.
Covered by all media
4 verified sources
A Mexican court ruled that Global Air must compensate the families of crew members killed in the 2018 plane crash in Havana that killed 112 people. Cuban families see the ruling as a hopeful precedent for their own compensation claims.
Context: The Boeing 737 crash at José Martí Airport in Havana in 2018 was one of Cuba's worst aviation disasters.
Coverage by political leaning
🔎 Why it matters: Several media outlets covered this legal development, giving voice to affected families seeking justice.
Left-wing blindspots
Independent media do not cover Cuba's diplomatic efforts at the UN
5 verified sources
The Cuban government denounced before the UN in Geneva what it called an 'energy blockade' as a violation of human rights, while nationally new economic regulations for state enterprises and budget units were announced.
Context: Cuba regularly frames its economic difficulties as consequences of the US embargo in international forums.
Coverage by political leaning
🔎 Why it matters: State media extensively covered government narratives of diplomatic and economic reform that independent media largely ignored.
Right-wing blindspots
State media ignores protest demands and public anger
10 verified sources
Residents of Guantanamo and Havana took to the streets with pot-banging protests after blackouts exceeded 27 hours. The energy crisis deepened as the Guiteras thermoelectric plant remains under repair and a unit in Santa Cruz broke down.
Context: Cuba's power grid has been in chronic crisis, with aging infrastructure and fuel shortages causing rotating blackouts that have intensified social unrest since 2021.
Coverage by political leaning
Left 30%
Ctr 40%
Right 30%
🔎 Why it matters: State outlets frame the crisis as technical interruptions while independent media highlight protests and widespread frustration.
State media does not acknowledge labor abuse allegations
2 verified sources
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported possible conditions of forced labor in Cuban medical missions abroad, citing passport confiscation, withheld salaries, and restricted movement. Independent media covered the findings while state media remained silent.
Context: Cuba's internationalist medical program has been a major source of foreign income but has faced growing international scrutiny over labor conditions.
Coverage by political leaning
🔎 Why it matters: This international human rights finding received zero coverage from state-aligned media.
State media completely omits stories of political prisoners
6 verified sources
Calls grew for the release of all political prisoners, while activist Dagoberto Valdés was summoned for interrogation. A father of three children was released after being detained for writing anti-government slogans. False reports about Cuba releasing 2010 political prisoners were debunked.
Context: Since the July 2021 protests, hundreds of Cubans have been jailed for political dissent, generating international condemnation.
Coverage by political leaning
🔎 Why it matters: Independent media document the ongoing repression while state media provide no coverage on political detentions.
State media frame US policy only as aggression of the blockade
3 verified sources
The White House clarified that Cuba is not next in line for military action after Trump's statements. John Bolton warned that Trump could repeat with Cuba the same mistakes made with Venezuela. A rally was organized in Miami to support Cuban opposition.
Context: Amid the US-Iran conflict, speculation arose about possible US military actions against other adversaries, including Cuba.
Coverage by political leaning
🔎 Why it matters: Central and independent media reported on the White House clarifications while state media focused on denouncing the US embargo.
State media do not report on violent crime or poverty
5 verified sources
Reports emerged of a newborn killed in Santiago de Cuba, a mother murdered in Las Tunas, and an elderly man begging on the streets of Havana. A surgeon publicly denounced humiliation in his hospital.
Context: The rise in crime and social despair reflect Cuba's deep humanitarian crisis amid economic collapse.
Coverage by political leaning
🔎 Why it matters: Independent media document the rise in violence and poverty that state media systematically omit.