The Castro regime is a first-class violator of all basic human rights. But its repression of those who dare to express themselves freely through their work as independent journalists is among the most nefarious because the dictatorship's aim is to hide from Cubans and the world the truth about what it really is.
That's why Reporters Without Borders' recent release of its 2011-2012 Press Freedom IndexR is so important. The rankings, which are based on 44 criteria, cut through the blockade that Cuba and other repressive regimes rely on to help them stay in power by revealing the link between press censorship and the absensce of all basic rights.
In the most recent survey, Cuba ranked 167 out of 179 countries, down from No. 166 of 178 in 2010.
"It is worth noting that, for the first time since the start of the index in 2002, Cuba is not one of the 10 last countries," the report states. "This is due above all to the release of 14 journalists and 22 activists in the course of the past summer. But the situation on the ground has not changed significantly. Political dissidents and independent journalists still have to deal with censorship and repression on a daily basis."
Cuba may not be the Bottom 10, but if you note the countries that rank lower -- Equatorial Guinea, at No. 168, Laos, Rwanda, Yemen, China, Sudan, Syria, Burma, Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea -- that's nothing to brag about.
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