Cuba Business News and Information
By Phil Rosenthal | Tribune media columnist
Chicago Tribune foreign correspondent Gary Marx, who has been based in Havana since 2002, was told Wednesday by Cuban officials his press credential will not be renewed and he can no longer report from there.
“They said I’ve been here long enough and they felt my work was negative,” Marx said. “They did not cite any examples.’‘
The decision on Marx comes at a critical time for Cuba, with longtime leader Fidel Castro’s age and health setting the stage for possible transition.
Marx was one of only among a handful of permanent correspondents for U.S.-based news organizations in Havana. CNN and the Associated Press also have Cuba bureaus.
A reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel will continue to staff the Tribune Co. bureau, and the Cuban government told Marx it would welcome an application from a new Chicago Tribune correspondent. That might take time to process, however, and new rules for reporters entering Cuba initially require the renewal of papers every 30 days.
“We’re very disappointed and concerned by the news that the Cuban government has decided to not renew our correspondent’s credentials and has asked him and his family to leave the island,” said George de Lama, Chicago Tribune managing editor for news.
“Gary Marx is an accomplished, veteran journalist who has consistently given our readers accurate, incisive and insightful coverage from Cuba, working under sometimes difficult conditions,” said de Lama, who helped establish the Tribune Co. bureau, which opened in Havana in March 2001. “We remain committed to coverage of Cuba and its people, and we are assessing our options of how to proceed.”
Officials told Marx he had 90 days to leave the country. He told them he and his wife have a 10-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son whose school year ends in mid-June and that they were planning to leave Cuba after that anyway. “They said they would be flexible,” he said.
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Here is the Council on Hemispheric Affairs comments on the news
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Nobody appears to have investigated this action.
Has anybody asked the three journalists any of the obvious questions, such as whether they might have been in contact with persons of interest to Cuban State Security?
I am pleased and joyous to hear of President Castro Ruz. He has demonstrated true leadership against tremendous odds. He is a symbol of strength. He once said ” History will absolve me” and this is true even now, while propaganda in the US has painted him a villain he is not. In the future, he will be recognized as a hero and not a villain.
I would love to see normalized relations with the Cuban Government. It is a dream and I believe the President would be open to such a progressive discussion. President Castro is a wise man.
Were it not for Castro’s strength, Cuba and its people would have been walked on, used, and abused more than Castro ever could have hurt them(Not that he has, but propaganda states otherwise).
Welcome Home President Castro, Jon Saylor from the USA
Viva Castro and Viva la Revolucion contra tirinia!!!
Jon,
I find it odd that you would jump in with the typical Cuban government propaganda while stating that you are from the USA.
It’s okay if you want to post this kind of propaganda for the Cuban government, just don’t say you are from the US because I don’t believe you.
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This is my signature - get yours in Your Control Panel. Go ahead and add a link to your site. Self promotion is permitted as long as it is beneficial to our community.
