Cuban journalist handed 6-year prison sentence for protesting

Miami, January 27, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the sentencing of Cuban journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea to six years in prison on January 15 after he was found guilty of protesting and calls on Cuban authorities to free him, and allow the free flow of information in the country.

The Provincial Court of Villa Clara, a Cuban province, upheld the sentence requested by the prosecution for Barrenechea who is a contributing writer for the independent media outlet, 14ymedio.

The court found him guilty of public disorder, protesting during a blackout and ​​associating “with people of bad morals and social conduct” after he joined a peaceful street protest against power outages in the wake of Hurricane Rafael on November 7, 2024, in the town of Encrucijada, Villa Clara, according to a copy of the sentence obtained by CPJ.

Although local media sources told CPJ that Barrenechea was present at the protest as a participant rather than a journalist, CPJ is concerned that the severity of his sentence is intended to silence his media activities. Barrenechea was previously targeted by local authorities in connection with his writing, and has been subjected to numerous police summonses and brief detentions.

Barrenechea, 54, who was arrested on November 8, 2024, was sentenced with several other protestors who received between three- and eight-year sentences. The court stated “the intention to destabilize public order and create insecurity among the population” in justifying the lengthy prison sentences.

“Cuban authorities have created an opaque justice system that punishes dissent, rather than delivering fair verdicts,” said CPJ U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen. “In the case of journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea, we are concerned that he was given an especially draconian sentence — six years for banging pots in protest over a lack of electricity—in relation to his work as a journalist.”

Human rights groups reported that Barrenechea’s health has deteriorated due to a hunger strike and he was denied permission to visit his mother before she died in May.