HAVANA, Jan 1, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A Cuban independent journalist and critic of the island's communist government accused authorities on Tuesday of forcing him into exile because of his work and social media posts.

"State security, with its repressive, low and dirty methods, has forced me to leave Cuba in extreme circumstances and under threat," Jose Luis Tan Estrada wrote on social media platform X.

"The Cuban regime has exiled me. My journalism, my social media posts and my denunciations have hit its Achilles heel," added the journalist, who said he was in Guyana in South America.

The Miami-based human rights group Cubalex said on X that Tan Estrada "was forced into exile after suffering constant pressure and threats from state security."

There was no official comment from Cuban authorities.

Tan Estrada, who lived in Camaguey in central Cuba, was detained for five days at the end of April.

He later said he was traveling by bus when he was arrested by police who accused him of spreading false information.

Tan Estrada said he was transferred to a state security detention center in the capital and subjected to several daily interrogations.

Under a communications law adopted in 2023, state media -- controlled by the Communist Party -- are the only legal Cuban media on the island.

However, several independent online media outlets have emerged in recent years that Cubans can only access through a virtual private network (VPN).