Cuba

Cuba held parliamentary elections on 26 March to select 470 deputies of the National Assembly, with no participation of international observers. The electoral process has been condemned by Cubans, and internationally denounced as ‘undemocratic’. Official participation figures have raised doubts, and human rights groups have highlighted acts of repression with coercion tactics and repression against activists in the context of the election. All opposition was barred from access to power, with only 470 candidates contending for the same number of seats, of which 55.3 per cent will be held by women. In view of the severe political restrictions, opposition groups called on Cubans to abstain from voting, claiming elections in the country’s unchallenged one-party system are fraudulent, with no formal or international oversight. Official government reports claim voter turnout was 75.92 per cent, marking an increase from the 68.5 per cent participation registered in municipal elections last November. This was, however, a poor turnout by Cuban standards and the lowest seen for legislative elections since the 1959 Revolution. The trend of growing abstention over the last decade indicates an erosion of confidence in Cuba’s communist regime with increasing public discontent amid socio-economic hardships.

Elections Cuban Communist Party

A new Penal Code that activists and human rights organizations warn could further limit fundamental rights, entered into force in Cuba. The new criminal code replaces legislation dating back to 1987 and could be used by Cuban authorities to reprimand dissent more easily. It includes a provision that allows anyone who “endangers the constitutional order and normal functioning” of the government to be punished with prison sentences. It also prohibits the receipt and use of funds made to finance activities “against the Cuban state and its constitutional order,” which human rights groups say could be used against independent journalists and NGOs

Freedom of Expression Freedom of Association and Assembly

On 27 November Cubans went to the polls to elect over 11,500 delegates to municipal assemblies. The elections took place at a critical moment for the country, which is facing a grave economic crisis and increasingly deteriorating living conditions. According to government figures, Cuba saw the highest abstention rate (31.5 per cent) in local elections since at least 1976. The sharp drop in voter turnout, in elections that are not competitive, with only one party on the ballot, followed calls from Cuba’s opposition to refrain from voting in protest of the administration of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Elections Miguel Díaz-Canel

Hurricane Ian (a category 3 hurricane) made landfall in Cuba at the end of September 2022, collapsing the country’s entire electricity system and causing severe damage to housing, agriculture and telecoms services. The extent of Ian’s impact led the Cuban government to make a rare request for emergency assistance from the American government. From September and throughout October, Cubans have taken to the streets to protest the lack of power, which in turn has heightened concerns over food, fuel and medicine shortages, and the government’s slow response to the disaster. On top of the blackouts, the Cuban regime has shut down Internet service throughout the country, adding to public anger and frustration. According to some local activists, as governance continues to deteriorate, the government's response to demonstrations of popular discontent has focused on their repression.  

Protests Climate Change Internet Shutdown