The government of Cuba revoked the press credentials of a Spanish journalist, Mauricio Vicent, correspondent on the island for the newspaper El País in Spain, the newspaper reported on Sunday, Sept. 4.

Vicent had worked for 20 years as a correspondent in Cuba, reporting for El País and the radio network Cadena Ser, both part of the media conglomerate Grupo Prisa.

The press credential awarded by the International Press Center, part of Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Relations, is a requirement in order for a journalist to attend a press conference or other official government activities, reported La Prensa Gráfica.

Cuban authorities said that the journalist portrayed a "biased and negative image" of Cuba. Vicent, 47 years old, is married to a Cuban woman and has two children on the island. It is unclear whether the revocation of his press pass means he also will have to leave the country, according to Conexión Cubana.

Since 2007, the Cuban government has prohibited reporting by foreign correspondents from the Chicago Tribune, the BBC and El Universal in México.