U.S.-Funded Media Covering Cuba Struggle for Survival as Trump Moves to Dismantle USAID
Independent Outlets Face Funding Cuts Amid Policy Shift
Some U.S.-funded media outlets that report on Cuba are scrambling to secure alternative funding sources as the Trump administration moves to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), leaving their future uncertain.
The U.S. State Department has issued global stop-work orders—now under court review—that have effectively frozen most foreign aid, including funds allocated to media outlets covering Cuba but operating independently of the Cuban government. The effort to dismantle USAID, Trump has stated, aligns with his “America First” policy, ensuring that foreign aid serves U.S. interests.
Media Outlets Seek Public Donations
Miami-based CubaNet, which received $500,000 from USAID in 2024 to engage “on-island young Cubans through objective and uncensored multimedia journalism,” recently published an editorial seeking reader donations.
“We are facing an unexpected challenge: the suspension of key funding that sustained part of our work,” the editorial read. “If you value our work and believe in keeping the truth alive, we ask for your support.”
Similarly, Madrid-based Diario de Cuba issued a plea from its director, Pablo Díaz Espí, stating, “Aid to independent journalism from the U.S. government is suspended, which makes our work even more arduous.”
Policy Shift Clashes With Broader U.S. Stance on Cuba
The decision to cut media funding appears to contradict the long-standing U.S. policy of supporting opposition groups and human rights advocacy efforts in Cuba. According to USAID budget reports, funding for Cuba-related media programs totaled $2.3 million in 2024, primarily earmarked for initiatives under “Independent Media and Free Flow of Information.”
For decades, the Cuban government has criticized U.S. support for independent digital news outlets, branding them as tools of U.S. foreign policy. Foreign Vice Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío recently reinforced this stance, arguing that these media organizations are “dependent on their master.”
“Is there anything independent about a journalist, an activist, or an opposition member who lives off the money paid by the U.S. government through USAID and now feels suffocated when they shut off the tap?” de Cossío posted on social media.
Cuban Government Maintains Tight Media Controls
While Cuba permits some foreign news agencies to operate within the country, U.S.-government-funded media outlets remain largely restricted. This has forced many Cuban journalists into exile while pressuring others to halt their work. Most of these news platforms, including CiberCuba, are censored on the island. However, CiberCuba maintains that it does not receive U.S. or government funding.
Rubio’s Silence on Media Funding Halt
Newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has vowed to implement a “tough” Cuba policy, reinforcing sanctions against the communist government. However, Rubio has yet to comment on the freezing of U.S. funds for Cuban-focused media outlets.
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