Whether Cuba is a democracy or not is often the subject of much debate and is frequently centered on hyperbole and misinformation. While many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say that Cuba isn’t democratic, many of the complaints they cite are often seen in the United States and elsewhere. For example, in 2023, Freedom House said all members of Cuba’s National Assembly were “deemed elected,” but followed it by saying, “However, the 2023 general election featured the lowest voter turnout since 1993 at approximately 76 percent.”
They also go on to say that Raúl Castro retired as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and was succeeded by the current president, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, but that Castro maintains “significant influence” despite his retirement. Meanwhile, in the U.S., we see the same influence from ex-presidents and lawmakers who later become lobbyists, and our representatives are also elected with low voter turnouts, often much lower than Cuba’s voter participation. They argue that the PCC has “monopolized government and politics,” but overlook the plutocracies that Western governments have become.
Election participation serves as a key indicator of support for a government. Despite the high turnout in many countries, including Cuba, many in the West will argue that other countries don’t have a democracy because it’s not a “Western” democracy. They say Cuba has a one-party rule, while in the U.S., we’re having discussions about Democrats and Republicans representing a “uniparty” because both parties are influenced by the same oligarchs and foreign interests who fund campaigns. You could say Cuba has a one-party rule. Or you could say there are no parties.
One thing is certain: money doesn’t drive politics in Cuba. Campaigning is not allowed, and candidates are limited to promoting themselves by posting their biography along with photos in the community. They are then elected by community members. Most major legislation is voted on by the population via referendums, such as the new constitution reforming the economy in 2019 and the Family Code in 2022, which codified LGBTQ rights into law along with protections for children and the elderly.
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We shouldn’t pretend that because someone may or may not be a communist, that they can’t think for themselves. The implicit biases, divergent views, and politics that exist anywhere also exist in Cuba. There are Cubans from across the political spectrum on the island. From liberals and conservatives to Christian nationalists and Catholics, they can all be found in Cuba. Those voices are represented in the National Assembly, at all levels of government, and in the voting public. To frame Cuba as anything else is deceptive.
Cuba’s political system is much more inclusive than most Western countries and more adequately represents its mixed-race population. While many will hyperbolically say that white men wield all the power in Cuba, its National Assembly is one of the world’s most demographically diverse, something even Freedom House admits before undermining it by saying they aren’t able to “assert their political interests.” Women hold 56% of legislative seats, and Afro-Cubans or mixed-race Cubans hold 45%. Cuba’s vice president is an Afro-Cuban.
The National Assembly is regarded as “the supreme body of state power” in Cuba and elects Cuba’s Council of State, consisting of the president, first vice-president, 5 other vice-presidents, a secretary, and 23 other members. In other words, Cuba’s president is appointed like a prime minister, by a legislative body. Cuba’s electoral system is not much different than many others around the world, aside from putting its people at the forefront and not wealthy billionaires with inordinate amounts of money to influence the nation’s governance.
Additionally, Cuba’s president does not have the power a president or prime minister might have in a Western democracy, such as the United States. Everything is done by people-appointed committees or legislation. The Council of State is made up of a group of representatives who act in various leadership capacities and are tasked with representing the people on the world stage, such as Cuba’s ministers. They are figureheads more than anything.
Detractors also claim that the Cuban government doesn’t care about its people, but housing, healthcare, education, and access to food are human rights. Cuba’s electoral system may not be perfect, and yes, the government comes down hard on anti-government speech, but it’s not anti-democratic. Cuba undoubtedly represents the people more than the United States’ version of democracy does. Its lawmakers don’t act at the behest of billionaires, corporations, and the military-industrial complex, who have more influence than the people do.
Did you get to participate in the decision to make life harder for poor people? To make life harder for the 15 million kids who don’t know where their next meal is coming from? What about giving billionaires tax breaks while making the poorest pay taxes? Did you get to vote for war or drone strikes that kill children? What about voting to codify protections for marginalized communities? Because in 2019 and in 2022, Cubans had the opportunity to vote for those, and they did.
In the U.S., we’ve seen state-by-state voter suppression laws targeting marginalized communities passed each year for decades. Now, congressional lawmakers are pushing the SAVE Act, a poll tax requiring insurmountable documentation at the polls. None of this is democratic, and neither is economically blockading a country for decades and causing immeasurable amounts of suffering to force political change.
If the United States wants to criticize another country about “democracy,” it should address the crumbling electoral system at home first. If it wants to talk about human rights violations and dictatorships, it may want to start with Saudi Arabia before even thinking about barking at Cuba. If the U.S. wants to talk about communism, it should start with China, Vietnam, and the host of other countries it does business with. Nothing about Cuba has to do with any of these things and has everything to do with Cuba liberating itself and becoming independent in 1959.
If the U.S. and much of the West are plutocracies and Cuba isn’t a democracy, what is? That’s a question no one in the U.S. government can answer because it’s a farce. The answer to whether Cuba is democratic depends largely on who you ask and their perspective. If they view Western democracy as the only type of democracy, then they’ll likely argue Cuba is not. However, someone with a people-centered perspective will assuredly give you a different answer.
Editor’s Note: My whole life, I had doubts about democracy in Cuba. All of that began to change in 2022 when I compared the U.S. and Cuban electoral systems for Latino Rebels. The work behind that article provided context that is often ignored in these discussions. It changed how I look at democracy and what it means. That same year, I also did an article on an independent journalist who, in my opinion, was wrongfully jailed by the Cuban government. This analysis isn’t about supporting a government, but its people.
Arturo is an independent freelance journalist. He has written hundreds of articles on policing, immigration, race, and Latin America. His work has been featured in outlets such as Unicorn Riot, Latino Rebels, Capitol Press, Momentum, and abroad. He is the Editor-in-Chief at the Antagonist Magazine and is a co-leader of the Writers and Editors of Color.
How is the seperation of powers organised? Does Cuba has a kind of supreme court to hold elected officials and the executif accountable if they abuse power or if they do not follow the laws or in case of corruption? What do you hear from the Cubans about the justice system and accountability?
Great analysis of the contrast. As you said, the representatives supposedly elected to represent me and others, rarely do. Instead, they're often catering to business interests that aren't even in my state, much less the same district. As soon as elections are no longer for sale from the Citizens United ruling, the more chance of US elections looking democratic.