Granma is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC). Established on October 4, 1965, it resulted from the merger of two prior publications: Revolución and Hoy. The newspaper’s name commemorates the yacht Granma, which transported Fidel Castro and 81 other revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba in 1956, marking the onset of the Cuban Revolution. Granma publishes a print edition from Monday to Saturday and maintains a regularly updated online portal offering news in multiple languages, including Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Italian, and German.
Media assets
Publishing: Granma
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
As the official organ of the PCC, Granma is entirely owned and operated by the Cuban government. The newspaper’s management is appointed by the Communist Party, typically selecting loyal party members to oversee its operations. As of 2017, Yailin Orta Rivera serves as the editor.
Source of funding and budget
There is no public information detailing Granma‘s specific funding or budget allocations. However, it is widely understood that the newspaper is fully funded by the Cuban government through the Communist Party, according to local journalists interviewed for this report in May 2024 and February 2025.
Editorial independence
Granma operates under the direct control of the Communist Party of Cuba and serves as its primary communication channel. The newspaper’s editorial stance is explicitly supportive of the revolution and the official party line. Its content regularly features speeches by Cuban leaders, official government announcements, and articles promoting the achievements of the socialist state.
There is no statute establishing Granma‘s editorial independence, nor is there an independent assessment mechanism to validate its editorial practices. However, the newspaper includes a section titled “Cartas a la Dirección” (Letters to the Editor), where readers can submit feedback and complaints. This section serves as a bridge between readers, the government, and the newspaper, though it does not function as an editorial oversight mechanism.
In May 2025, Granma inadvertently acknowledged the existence of political prisoners in Cuba through a social media post, a significant deviation from the government’s longstanding denial of such prisoners. The post was quickly deleted and replaced, but it sparked widespread discussion and criticism.
May 2025