The Story About Cuba That No One Was Telling

"Six years ago, I almost gave up on journalism. The Cuba presented by both the Cuban State and U.S. funded media outlets was not the Cuba I knew," said Liz Oliva Fernández, journalist with Belly of the Beast.

"Then I received an offer to work on a documentary series that focused on the impact of U.S. sanctions on the Cuban people and I took it," she said.

"Working on The War on Cuba was not what I expected," Oliva Fernández said.

"At first, I thought the job was temporary. As a Black woman, I felt there were more important issues to report on, like racial justice and violence against women," she continued.

"But little by little, I started to realize just how important it was to report on U.S. policy. The more I learned about U.S. sanctions, the more I discovered how they impact the daily lives of everyone in my country, especially Black people," Oliva Fernández said.

"We're reporting on a topic that's invisibilized by U.S. mainstream media," she said.

"Some people don't believe U.S. sanctions are real, others don't want to hear about it, and most people don't understand what they are and what they do," Oliva Fernández said.

"Reporting on sanctions for a U.S. audience is not my dream job," she added.

"Hi! How are you doing?" Oliva Fernández said, greeting someone on the street.

"I would rather be speaking in my own language to my own people about problems that we can solve in Cuba," she continued.

"But how can we figure out our own problems when the world's most powerful country is doing everything possible to destroy our economy and make us suffer?" Oliva Fernández asked.

"Some people have attacked Belly of the Beast for our work that exposes the impact of U.S. policy," she said.

"But no one can question our journalistic integrity. That's because our values are solid. We don't waver from our commitment to justice and to the truth," Oliva Fernández said.

"Our groundbreaking journalism and documentaries are possible because of you and your support," she added.

"Together, we're bringing Cuba's untold stories to millions of people around the world. Help us keep going. Subscribe to our Newsletter and join us on Patreon," Oliva Fernández said.

"Thank you for believing in independent journalism. Thank you for being part of Belly of the Beast," she concluded.