Havana's Accreditation Requirements

News that the Castro regime has "irrevocably" revoked the accreditation of Spanish journalist Mauricio Vicent raises an interesting question:

What does it take to remain an "accredited" foreign journalist in Castro's Cuba?

Perhaps writing stories about 24-fingered Cubans or pigs that feed milk from a dog, particularly while pro-democracy activists face daunting repression during daily protests.

Or perhaps referring to dictators Fidel and Raul Castro as "President" despite having never been elected by the Cuban people during their 52-year totalitarian rule.

Or perhaps always using qualifiers for Cuba's courageous pro-democracy movement, such as small, disorganized, U.S.-supported and always stressing that the regime refers to them as "mercenaries" (no matter how absurd).

Or perhaps -- as is the case today -- just ignoring the arrest of over 10 Ladies in White in the province of Matanzas.

We recognize it's a tough balancing act for many of these foreign journalists, but people who do not follow Cuba on a daily basis are unaware of these nuances (and of the nature of the Castro dictatorship) -- thus, it sadly leads to disinformation and indifference.