Title: Cuban Journalist Elizabeth Borrego Resigns from State Agency, Stays in the US
In a significant turn of events, Elizabeth Borrego, a 31-year-old journalist serving as New York correspondent for state-run Prensa Latina, has resigned from her post to remain in the United States. A source close to the matter confirmed this development to the independent news agency Cubanet.
Borrego’s departure was initially reported by El Vigía, another independent media outlet. Her resignation marks the second instance since December 2022 when a correspondent abroad left Prensa Latina, following Néstor Marín’s decision to abandon the agency while in London.
"The correspondent in the UN seat had only been there for about a year. She just called Havana’s central office to say she wasn’t coming back," the source told Cubanet.
Despite her resignation, a veteran journalist at Prensa Latina praised Borrego’s work, stating, "She did her job very well, she was a good journalist." However, hopes for a better life appear to have played a factor in her decision, with the journalist noting that Borrego longed for a life where she could start a family and live dignifiedly.
The loss of Borrego is considered a significant blow to Prensa Latina, which is already grappling with financial difficulties and a brain drain of young, talent journalists like Borrego, according to El Vigía.
Elizabeth Borrego, a native of Sancti Spíritus and graduate of the University Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas, has a formidable feminist legacy. Her father, Juan Antonio Borrego Díaz, directed the local state newspaper Escambray for over 20 years, served as a Granma correspondent, and was a deputy to the National Assembly of People’s Power.
Borrego’s resignation comes shortly after another prominent figure, Sergio Ortega, known for his sports reporting, left for Miami. Ortega’s father, Manolo Ortega, was famously known as "Fidel’s announcer."
Cuban journalism is currently facing an exodus, with UPEC (Unión de Periodistas de Cuba) reporting that over 270 members left the country between mid-2021 and late 2022, averaging more than ten journalists per quarter.
This article was written based on news from Diario de Cuba, Cubanet, and El Vigía.
