Independent journalist fired from job

In Cuba, independent journalism very seldom pays the bills, so often its practitioners rely on other jobs to support themselves and/or their families.

Which puts them at the mercy of the communist authorities. If they misbehave — that is, if they tell stories the dictatorship would prefer remain untold or participate in activities it would rather repress — they risk losing their jobs, which exposes them to a whole other set of problems. After all, anyone who leaches off the state is probably a counter-revolutionary.

Losing his job is exactly what happened to independent journalist Francisco Blanco Sanabria on May 2.

He arrived for work at a sugar mill in the town of Ranchuelo, in Villa Clara province, to find he had been fired, on orders from State Security, according to a report filed by independent journalist Yesmy Elena Mena Zurbano. In a meeting attended by factory officials, as well as hacks with State Security and the Union of Young Communists, the mill's director told Blanco he was being let go because of three unauthorized absensces from work.

There also was a reference to a report that Blanco had distribued CAMBIO bracelets to other workers at the mill.

The officials also Blanco he could appeal to government labor officials, but he would not be able to work until the matter was resolved.