| CUBA Republic of Cuba Republica de Cuba Joined United Nations: 24 October 1945 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 11/12/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Havana
11,477,459 (July 2010 est.)
President and Vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for
a term of five years; election last held 6 24 February 2008.
Next scheduled election: 2013
a term of five years; election last held 6 24 February 2008.
Next scheduled election: 2013
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
According to the Cuban Constitution, President is both the
Chief of State and Head of Government.
Chief of State and Head of Government.
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
White 65.1%, mulatto and mestizo 24.8%, black 10.1% (2002 census)
| RELIGIONS |
Nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to Castro assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Communist state with 14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality (municipio especial); Legal system is
based on Spanish civil law and influenced by American legal concepts, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President and Vice Presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 24 February 2008
(next to be held in 2013)
Legislative: Unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats; members
elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2008 (next to be held in January 2013)
Judicial: People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the
National Assembly)
based on Spanish civil law and influenced by American legal concepts, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President and Vice Presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 24 February 2008
(next to be held in 2013)
Legislative: Unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats; members
elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2008 (next to be held in January 2013)
Judicial: People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the
National Assembly)
| LANGUAGES |
Spanish (official)
| BRIEF HISTORY |
The earliest inhabitants of Cuba were the Guanajatabey people, who migrated to the island from the forests of the South American
mainland as long ago as 5300 BC. Though the Guanajatabeyes are now considered to be a distinct population, early
anthropologists and historians mistakenly believed that they were the Ciboney people who occupied areas throughout the Antilles
islands of the Caribbean. Further evidence suggests that the Guanajatabeyes were driven to the west of the island by the arrival of
two subsequent waves of migrants, the Taíno and Ciboney. The Taíno cultivated the yucca root, harvested it and baked it to
produce cassava bread. They also grew cotton and tobacco, and ate maize and sweet potatoes. The first sighting of a Spanish boat
approaching the island was on October 28, 1492, probably at Baracoa on the eastern point of the island. During a second voyage
in 1494, Columbus passed along the south coast of the island, landing at various inlets including what was to become Guantánamo
Bay. The Spanish began to create permanent settlements on the island of Hispaniola, east of Cuba, soon after Columbus's arrival in
the Caribbean, but it wasn't until 1509 that the coast of Cuba was fully mapped by Sebastián de Ocampo. In 1511, Diego
Velázquez de Cuéllar set out with three ships and an army of 300 men from Hispaniola to form the first Spanish settlement in Cuba,
with orders from Spain to conquer the island. The settlement was at Baracoa, but the new settlers were to be greeted with stiff
resistance from the local Taíno population. The Taínos were initially organized by cacique (chieftain) Hatuey, who had himself
relocated from Hispaniola to escape the brutalities of Spanish rule on that island. After a prolonged guerrilla campaign, Hatuey and
successive chieftains were captured and burnt alive, and within three years the Spanish had gained control of the island. In 1514, a
settlement was founded in what was to become Havana. Despite the difficult relations between the local Cubans and the new
Europeans, some cooperation was in evidence. The Spanish were shown by the Native Cubans how to nurture tobacco and
consume it in the form of cigars. There were also many unions between the largely male Spanish colonists and indigenous women.
Their children were called mestizos, but the Native Cubans called them Guajiro, which translates as "one of us". The Spanish
established sugar and tobacco as Cuba's primary products, and the island soon supplanted Hispaniola as the prime Spanish base in
the Caribbean. The expansion of agriculture tempered by the rapid erosion of the native populations meant that further field labor
was required. African slaves were then imported to work the plantations as field labor. However, restrictive Spanish trade laws
made it difficult for Cubans to keep up with the 17th and 18th century advances in processing sugar cane pioneered in British
Barbados and French Saint Domingue (Haiti). Spain also restricted Cuba's access to the slave trade, which was dominated by the
British, French, and Dutch. One important turning point came in the Seven Years' War, when the British conquered the port of
Havana and introduced thousands of slaves in a ten month period. Another key event was the Haitian Revolution in nearby
Saint-Domingue, from 1791 to 1804. Thousands of French refugees, fleeing the slave rebellion in Saint Domingue, brought slaves
and expertise in sugar refining and coffee growing into eastern Cuba in the 1790 and early 1800s. Following from the 1868-1878
rebellion Ten Years' War, all slavery was abolished by 1884, making it the second to last country in the Western Hemisphere to
abolish slavery (Brazil was the last). Cuban independence from Spain was gained after three wars: the Ten Years' War;
1868-1878, the Little War; 1879-1880, and the War of '95, itself sometimes called the War of Independence, bleeding into the
Spanish-American War. When the US battleship Maine blew up on 15 February 1898, tensions escalated, and the U.S. would no
longer accept Spanish promises of eventual reform The U.S. declared the Spanish-American War. American marines landed in
Guantanamo and with the support of Cuban forces took that strategic harbor. On 17 July 1898, the Spanish surrendered. On
August 12, 1898 the U.S. and Spain signed a protocol of Peace in which Spain agreed to relinquish all claim of sovereignty over
and title of Cuba. On December 10, 1898, the U.S. and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris, Article I of which implicitly recognized
Cuban independence. In 1902, the United States handed over control to a Cuban government that as a condition of the transfer had
included in its constitution provisions implementing the requirements of the Platt Amendment, which among other things gave the
United States the right to intervene militarily in Cuba. President Tomás Estrada Palma was elected in 1902, and Cuba was declared
independent, though Guantanamo Bay was leased to the United States as part of the Platt Amendment. For three decades, the
country was led by former War of Independence leaders, who after being elected did not serve more than two constitutional terms.
In World War I, Cuba declared war on Imperial Germany on April 7th, 1917, the day after the US entered the war. Despite being
unable to send troops to fight in Europe, Cuba played a significant role as a base to protect the West Indies from U-Boat attacks. A
draft law was instituted, and 25,000 Cuban troops raised, but the war ended before they could be sent into action. In September
1933, there was a successful mutiny by enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers, taking the lower ranks of the Cuban Army
to power. A key figure in the process was Fulgencio Batista, an army sergeant holding a key post as a telegraph officer. In 1940,
Batista became the country's official president in an election which many people considered to be rigged. Batista was voted out of
office in 1944. He was succeeded by Dr. Ramón Grau San Martín, a populist physician, who had briefly held the presidency in the
1933 revolutionary process. President Grau passed a number of populist measures favoring workers and also had been instrumental
in passing the 1940 Constitution, which has been widely regarded as one of the most progressive ever written in terms of worker
protection and human rights. Batista, who was running for president in the 1952 elections, but was only expected to get a small
minority of votes, seized power in an almost bloodless coup three months before the election was to take place. Elections were held
in 1953 and Batista was elected. On July 26, 1953, Castro led a historic attack on the Moncada Barracks near Santiago de Cuba,
but failed. Many soldiers were killed by Castro's forces. Castro was captured, tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison. However,
he was released by the Batista government in 1956, when amnesty was given to many political prisoners, including the ones that
assaulted the Moncada barracks. Castro subsequently went into exile in Mexico where he met Ernesto "Che" Guevara. While in
Mexico, he organized the 26th of July Movement with the goal of overthrowing Batista. A group of over 80 men sailed to Cuba on
board the yacht Granma, landing in the eastern part of the island in December 1956. Batista fled on January 1, 1959. Within months
of taking control, Castro moved to consolidate power by brutally marginalizing other resistance groups and figures and imprisoning
and executing opponents and former supporters. As the revolution became more radical and continued its persecution of those who
did not agree with its direction, hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled the island. In response to the seizure of American properties,
the continued executions and violations of human rights, the U.S. broke diplomatic relations on January 3, 1961 and imposed the
U.S. embargo against Cuba on February 3, 1962. The embargo is still in effect as of 2007, although some humanitarian trade in
food and medicines is now allowed. The United States then sponsored an unsuccessful attack on Cuba, using conservative political
groups as the main source of support. The attack began on April 15, 1961, when exiles, flying planes provided by the United States
bombed several Cuban air force bases. This attack did not succeed in destroying all of Castro's air force. Tensions between the two
governments peaked again during the October 1962 Cuban missile crisis. When the Soviet Union broke up in late 1991, a major
boost to Cuba's economy was lost, leaving it essentially paralyzed because of the Cuban economy's narrow basis, focused on just a
few products with just a few buyers. On July 31, 2006, Fidel Castro delegated his duties as President of the Council of state,
President of the Council of Ministers, First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party and the post of commander in chief of the
armed forces to his brother and First Vice President, Raúl Castro. This transfer of duties has been described as temporary while
Fidel Castro recovers from surgery undergone after suffering from an "acute intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding". In February
2008, Fidel Castro officially stepped down as president allowing fro the election of his brother Raul as President.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Cuba
mainland as long ago as 5300 BC. Though the Guanajatabeyes are now considered to be a distinct population, early
anthropologists and historians mistakenly believed that they were the Ciboney people who occupied areas throughout the Antilles
islands of the Caribbean. Further evidence suggests that the Guanajatabeyes were driven to the west of the island by the arrival of
two subsequent waves of migrants, the Taíno and Ciboney. The Taíno cultivated the yucca root, harvested it and baked it to
produce cassava bread. They also grew cotton and tobacco, and ate maize and sweet potatoes. The first sighting of a Spanish boat
approaching the island was on October 28, 1492, probably at Baracoa on the eastern point of the island. During a second voyage
in 1494, Columbus passed along the south coast of the island, landing at various inlets including what was to become Guantánamo
Bay. The Spanish began to create permanent settlements on the island of Hispaniola, east of Cuba, soon after Columbus's arrival in
the Caribbean, but it wasn't until 1509 that the coast of Cuba was fully mapped by Sebastián de Ocampo. In 1511, Diego
Velázquez de Cuéllar set out with three ships and an army of 300 men from Hispaniola to form the first Spanish settlement in Cuba,
with orders from Spain to conquer the island. The settlement was at Baracoa, but the new settlers were to be greeted with stiff
resistance from the local Taíno population. The Taínos were initially organized by cacique (chieftain) Hatuey, who had himself
relocated from Hispaniola to escape the brutalities of Spanish rule on that island. After a prolonged guerrilla campaign, Hatuey and
successive chieftains were captured and burnt alive, and within three years the Spanish had gained control of the island. In 1514, a
settlement was founded in what was to become Havana. Despite the difficult relations between the local Cubans and the new
Europeans, some cooperation was in evidence. The Spanish were shown by the Native Cubans how to nurture tobacco and
consume it in the form of cigars. There were also many unions between the largely male Spanish colonists and indigenous women.
Their children were called mestizos, but the Native Cubans called them Guajiro, which translates as "one of us". The Spanish
established sugar and tobacco as Cuba's primary products, and the island soon supplanted Hispaniola as the prime Spanish base in
the Caribbean. The expansion of agriculture tempered by the rapid erosion of the native populations meant that further field labor
was required. African slaves were then imported to work the plantations as field labor. However, restrictive Spanish trade laws
made it difficult for Cubans to keep up with the 17th and 18th century advances in processing sugar cane pioneered in British
Barbados and French Saint Domingue (Haiti). Spain also restricted Cuba's access to the slave trade, which was dominated by the
British, French, and Dutch. One important turning point came in the Seven Years' War, when the British conquered the port of
Havana and introduced thousands of slaves in a ten month period. Another key event was the Haitian Revolution in nearby
Saint-Domingue, from 1791 to 1804. Thousands of French refugees, fleeing the slave rebellion in Saint Domingue, brought slaves
and expertise in sugar refining and coffee growing into eastern Cuba in the 1790 and early 1800s. Following from the 1868-1878
rebellion Ten Years' War, all slavery was abolished by 1884, making it the second to last country in the Western Hemisphere to
abolish slavery (Brazil was the last). Cuban independence from Spain was gained after three wars: the Ten Years' War;
1868-1878, the Little War; 1879-1880, and the War of '95, itself sometimes called the War of Independence, bleeding into the
Spanish-American War. When the US battleship Maine blew up on 15 February 1898, tensions escalated, and the U.S. would no
longer accept Spanish promises of eventual reform The U.S. declared the Spanish-American War. American marines landed in
Guantanamo and with the support of Cuban forces took that strategic harbor. On 17 July 1898, the Spanish surrendered. On
August 12, 1898 the U.S. and Spain signed a protocol of Peace in which Spain agreed to relinquish all claim of sovereignty over
and title of Cuba. On December 10, 1898, the U.S. and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris, Article I of which implicitly recognized
Cuban independence. In 1902, the United States handed over control to a Cuban government that as a condition of the transfer had
included in its constitution provisions implementing the requirements of the Platt Amendment, which among other things gave the
United States the right to intervene militarily in Cuba. President Tomás Estrada Palma was elected in 1902, and Cuba was declared
independent, though Guantanamo Bay was leased to the United States as part of the Platt Amendment. For three decades, the
country was led by former War of Independence leaders, who after being elected did not serve more than two constitutional terms.
In World War I, Cuba declared war on Imperial Germany on April 7th, 1917, the day after the US entered the war. Despite being
unable to send troops to fight in Europe, Cuba played a significant role as a base to protect the West Indies from U-Boat attacks. A
draft law was instituted, and 25,000 Cuban troops raised, but the war ended before they could be sent into action. In September
1933, there was a successful mutiny by enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers, taking the lower ranks of the Cuban Army
to power. A key figure in the process was Fulgencio Batista, an army sergeant holding a key post as a telegraph officer. In 1940,
Batista became the country's official president in an election which many people considered to be rigged. Batista was voted out of
office in 1944. He was succeeded by Dr. Ramón Grau San Martín, a populist physician, who had briefly held the presidency in the
1933 revolutionary process. President Grau passed a number of populist measures favoring workers and also had been instrumental
in passing the 1940 Constitution, which has been widely regarded as one of the most progressive ever written in terms of worker
protection and human rights. Batista, who was running for president in the 1952 elections, but was only expected to get a small
minority of votes, seized power in an almost bloodless coup three months before the election was to take place. Elections were held
in 1953 and Batista was elected. On July 26, 1953, Castro led a historic attack on the Moncada Barracks near Santiago de Cuba,
but failed. Many soldiers were killed by Castro's forces. Castro was captured, tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison. However,
he was released by the Batista government in 1956, when amnesty was given to many political prisoners, including the ones that
assaulted the Moncada barracks. Castro subsequently went into exile in Mexico where he met Ernesto "Che" Guevara. While in
Mexico, he organized the 26th of July Movement with the goal of overthrowing Batista. A group of over 80 men sailed to Cuba on
board the yacht Granma, landing in the eastern part of the island in December 1956. Batista fled on January 1, 1959. Within months
of taking control, Castro moved to consolidate power by brutally marginalizing other resistance groups and figures and imprisoning
and executing opponents and former supporters. As the revolution became more radical and continued its persecution of those who
did not agree with its direction, hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled the island. In response to the seizure of American properties,
the continued executions and violations of human rights, the U.S. broke diplomatic relations on January 3, 1961 and imposed the
U.S. embargo against Cuba on February 3, 1962. The embargo is still in effect as of 2007, although some humanitarian trade in
food and medicines is now allowed. The United States then sponsored an unsuccessful attack on Cuba, using conservative political
groups as the main source of support. The attack began on April 15, 1961, when exiles, flying planes provided by the United States
bombed several Cuban air force bases. This attack did not succeed in destroying all of Castro's air force. Tensions between the two
governments peaked again during the October 1962 Cuban missile crisis. When the Soviet Union broke up in late 1991, a major
boost to Cuba's economy was lost, leaving it essentially paralyzed because of the Cuban economy's narrow basis, focused on just a
few products with just a few buyers. On July 31, 2006, Fidel Castro delegated his duties as President of the Council of state,
President of the Council of Ministers, First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party and the post of commander in chief of the
armed forces to his brother and First Vice President, Raúl Castro. This transfer of duties has been described as temporary while
Fidel Castro recovers from surgery undergone after suffering from an "acute intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding". In February
2008, Fidel Castro officially stepped down as president allowing fro the election of his brother Raul as President.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Cuba
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back
limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods,
and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was
caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. Since late 2000, Venezuela has been providing oil on preferential terms,
and it currently supplies about 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the
services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela including some 30,000 medical professionals.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Cuba)
limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods,
and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was
caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. Since late 2000, Venezuela has been providing oil on preferential terms,
and it currently supplies about 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the
services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela including some 30,000 medical professionals.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Cuba)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
The Communist Party of Cuba is constitutionally recognized as Cuba's only legal political party. In theory, no political party,
including the Communist Party of Cuba, is permitted to nominate or campaign for any candidate. Candidates are theoretically to be
nominated at local levels by the local population at small "Town Hall" type meetings, however, the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights points out that in reality the Communist party has the final word on who is elected. Suffrage is afforded to Cuban
citizens resident for two years on the island who are aged over sixteen years and who have not been found guilty of a criminal
offence.
The national elections for the 609 members of the National Assembly of People's Power were held according to this system at 19
January 2003. There was only one candidate for each seat. Next to the Communist Party of Cuba, various political parties are
illegally active in the country. The most important of these are the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba, the Cuban Socialist
Democratic Current, the Democratic Social-Revolutionary Party of Cuba, the Democratic Solidarity Party, the Liberal Party of
Cuba and the Social Democratic Co-ordination of Cuba.
The distinct nature of political participation in Cuba has also fostered discussion amongst political writers and philosophers. Varied
conclusions have been drawn, some of these have led to Cuba being described as a dictatorship, a totalitarian state, a grassroots
democracy, a centralized democracy or a revolutionary democracy, but not a liberal democracy.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Cuba
including the Communist Party of Cuba, is permitted to nominate or campaign for any candidate. Candidates are theoretically to be
nominated at local levels by the local population at small "Town Hall" type meetings, however, the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights points out that in reality the Communist party has the final word on who is elected. Suffrage is afforded to Cuban
citizens resident for two years on the island who are aged over sixteen years and who have not been found guilty of a criminal
offence.
The national elections for the 609 members of the National Assembly of People's Power were held according to this system at 19
January 2003. There was only one candidate for each seat. Next to the Communist Party of Cuba, various political parties are
illegally active in the country. The most important of these are the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba, the Cuban Socialist
Democratic Current, the Democratic Social-Revolutionary Party of Cuba, the Democratic Solidarity Party, the Liberal Party of
Cuba and the Social Democratic Co-ordination of Cuba.
The distinct nature of political participation in Cuba has also fostered discussion amongst political writers and philosophers. Varied
conclusions have been drawn, some of these have led to Cuba being described as a dictatorship, a totalitarian state, a grassroots
democracy, a centralized democracy or a revolutionary democracy, but not a liberal democracy.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Cuba
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility can terminate the
lease
lease
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
None reported.
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty
for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 (2008)
for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 (2008)
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Cuba
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Cuba, with a population of approximately 11 million, is a totalitarian state that does not tolerate opposition to official policy. The country
is led by Raul Castro, who holds the positions of chief of state, president of the council of state and council of ministers, and
commander in chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Although the constitution recognizes the unicameral National Assembly as the
supreme authority, the Communist Party (CP) is recognized in the constitution as the only legal party and "the superior leading force of
society and of the state." Fidel Castro remained the first secretary of the CP. The January 2008 elections for the National Assembly were
neither free nor fair, and all of the candidates had to be preapproved by a CP candidacy commission, with the result that the CP
candidates and their allies won 98.7 percent of the vote and 607 of 614 seats in the National Assembly. Civilian authorities, through the
Ministry of the Interior, exercised control over the police, the internal security forces, and the prison system.
The government continued to deny its citizens their basic human rights, including the right to change their government, and committed
numerous and serious abuses. The following human rights problems were reported:
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Cuba, with a population of approximately 11 million, is a totalitarian state that does not tolerate opposition to official policy. The country
is led by Raul Castro, who holds the positions of chief of state, president of the council of state and council of ministers, and
commander in chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Although the constitution recognizes the unicameral National Assembly as the
supreme authority, the Communist Party (CP) is recognized in the constitution as the only legal party and "the superior leading force of
society and of the state." Fidel Castro remained the first secretary of the CP. The January 2008 elections for the National Assembly were
neither free nor fair, and all of the candidates had to be preapproved by a CP candidacy commission, with the result that the CP
candidates and their allies won 98.7 percent of the vote and 607 of 614 seats in the National Assembly. Civilian authorities, through the
Ministry of the Interior, exercised control over the police, the internal security forces, and the prison system.
The government continued to deny its citizens their basic human rights, including the right to change their government, and committed
numerous and serious abuses. The following human rights problems were reported:
- beatings and abuse of prisoners and detainees, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, including denial of medical care;
- harassment, beatings, and threats against political opponents by government‑recruited mobs, police, and state security officials
acting with impunity; - arbitrary arrest and detention of human rights advocates and members of independent professional organizations;
- denial of fair trial, including for at least 194 political prisoners and as many as 5,000 persons who have been convicted of
potential "dangerousness" without being charged with any specific crime. - Authorities interfered with privacy and engaged in pervasive monitoring of private communications.
- There were also severe limitations on freedom of speech and press;
- denial of peaceful assembly and association;
- restrictions on freedom of movement, including selective denial of exit permits to citizens and the forcible removal of persons
from Havana to their hometowns; - restrictions on freedom of religion and refusal to recognize domestic human rights groups or permit them to function legally.
- Discrimination against persons of African descent,
- domestic violence,
- underage prostitution,
- trafficking in persons,
- severe restrictions on worker rights, including the right to form independent unions, were also problems.
3 March 2008
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Seventh session, Agenda item 3
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler
Addendum
MISSION TO CUBA∗,∗∗
(28 October to 6 November 2007)
Summary
The Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, has the honour to submit to the Human Rights Council the present report on
his official mission to Cuba, which took place from 28 October to 6 November 2007.
The visit of the Special Rapporteur took place at an important moment of transition in the relationship between Cuba and the Human
Rights Council. In June 2007, the Council ended the mandate of the Personal Representative of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights on the situation of human rights in Cuba. At that time, Cuba undertook commitments to collaborate with the Council. The
invitation extended to the Special Rapporteur was a clear illustration of these commitments.
The realization of the right to food is one of the highest priorities of the Cuban Government. The Government has an impressive national
food programme which aims to provide all citizens with at least 50 per cent of their basic food requirements. The extensive system of
social protection includes social food programmes and dietary and nutritional supplements for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable
people. As a result of this focus on food security, malnutrition is not a significant problem: on average a Cuban consumes much more
than the recommended daily amount of calories and undernourishment is very low. Cuba is to be commended for achieving the
objectives of the 1996 World Food Summit and Target 2 of Millennium Development Goal 1, namely, to reduce by half the proportion of
people who suffer from hunger by 2015. Notwithstanding, anaemia amongst children and pregnant women is a concern, as is obesity.
External influences greatly affect the realization of the right to food in Cuba. The dissolution of the Soviet trading bloc, the United States
embargo and increasing world food prices combine to make Cuba’s reliance on food imports problematic. Domestic food production
and distribution are limited by internal inefficiencies, lack of agricultural inputs, problems in the transport sector and Cuba’s tropical
climate. Market restrictions and low prices paid to agricultural producers create few incentives to increase production. Consumers are
also affected by lack of income, the high cost of non-subsidized food, delays in food deliveries and the limited range of food products
available in national currency.
Click here to read more »
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Seventh session, Agenda item 3
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler
Addendum
MISSION TO CUBA∗,∗∗
(28 October to 6 November 2007)
Summary
The Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, has the honour to submit to the Human Rights Council the present report on
his official mission to Cuba, which took place from 28 October to 6 November 2007.
The visit of the Special Rapporteur took place at an important moment of transition in the relationship between Cuba and the Human
Rights Council. In June 2007, the Council ended the mandate of the Personal Representative of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights on the situation of human rights in Cuba. At that time, Cuba undertook commitments to collaborate with the Council. The
invitation extended to the Special Rapporteur was a clear illustration of these commitments.
The realization of the right to food is one of the highest priorities of the Cuban Government. The Government has an impressive national
food programme which aims to provide all citizens with at least 50 per cent of their basic food requirements. The extensive system of
social protection includes social food programmes and dietary and nutritional supplements for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable
people. As a result of this focus on food security, malnutrition is not a significant problem: on average a Cuban consumes much more
than the recommended daily amount of calories and undernourishment is very low. Cuba is to be commended for achieving the
objectives of the 1996 World Food Summit and Target 2 of Millennium Development Goal 1, namely, to reduce by half the proportion of
people who suffer from hunger by 2015. Notwithstanding, anaemia amongst children and pregnant women is a concern, as is obesity.
External influences greatly affect the realization of the right to food in Cuba. The dissolution of the Soviet trading bloc, the United States
embargo and increasing world food prices combine to make Cuba’s reliance on food imports problematic. Domestic food production
and distribution are limited by internal inefficiencies, lack of agricultural inputs, problems in the transport sector and Cuba’s tropical
climate. Market restrictions and low prices paid to agricultural producers create few incentives to increase production. Consumers are
also affected by lack of income, the high cost of non-subsidized food, delays in food deliveries and the limited range of food products
available in national currency.
Click here to read more »
Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 7
Civil Liberties Score: 6
Status: Not Free
Overview
In March 2009, President Raul Castro fired several prominent cabinet ministers amid a worsening economic crisis. Also during the year,
former leader Fidel Castro appeared to regain his health and wrote frequent essays in the state press, sparking speculation that his
renewed influence could slow Cuba’s reform process. In November, noted blogger Yoani Sanchez reported being beaten and intimidated
by suspected government agents. Cuban authorities in December arrested a U.S. contractor for distributing communications equipment
to religious groups, although he remained in detention without being formally charged.
In 2009, the government began to distribute land leases to agricultural workers, but other key aspects of the reform agenda remained
stalled. Cuba’s heavy dependence on imports led to a shortage of foreign exchange, forcing layoffs and closures at many state
enterprises, and the threat of blackouts led to electricity rationing during the summer.
In March, Raul Castro dismissed Vice President Carlos Lage and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque as part of a major cabinet
shakeup. Fidel Castro later accused the two figures of being seduced by “the honey of power.” In all, 10 cabinet officials were replaced,
and the president subsequently postponed the long-overdue Sixth Party Congress, a major leadership conference that had been scheduled
for the second half of 2009. Fidel’s health and influence seemed to improve during the year, casting further doubts on Raul’s initial
policies.
Cuba continued to deny political and civil liberties to regime opponents in 2009. According to the Cuban Commission on Human Rights,
a nongovernmental group, the number of political prisoners grew slightly to 208 by mid-2009, but had declined to 201 by year’s end.
Harassment and short-term detentions replaced long prison terms as the preferred form of repression, although some dissidents won
reprieves from the government. In June, prominent dissident and neurosurgeon Hilda Molina was granted a long-sought exit visa so that
she could join family members in Argentina; the move, which came just before elections in Argentina, indicated a political compromise
between Argentine and Cuban leaders. In October, political prisoners Nelson Alberto Aguiar Ramirez and Omelio Lazaro Angulo Borrero,
who had been arrested in the 2003 crackdown, were released following an intercession on their behalf by the visiting Spanish foreign
minister. Several dissident groups praised the government’s decision to allow Colombian pop singer Juanes to organize a major Havana
concert promoting “Peace Without Borders,” which took place in September with more than one million Cubans in attendance.
In April, the administration of newly elected U.S. president Barack Obama repealed all restrictions on the ability of Cuban Americans to
visit Cuba or send money to their Cuban relatives. In June, the United States joined in the repeal of a 1962 resolution that had suspended
Cuba’s membership in the Organization of American States, but the Castro government rejected any interest in rejoining the group.
Nevertheless, diplomatic contacts between the United States and Cuba increased during the year, including the resumption of stalled
bilateral migration talks and negotiations on the restoration of direct postal service. The tentative thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations was
threatened in December, when Cuban authorities arrested U.S. contractor Alan Gross, reportedly for distributing communications
equipment to religious nongovernmental organizations. While Cuban officials publicly claimed that Gross was a “spy,” he remained in
detention without being formally charged.
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Political Rights Score: 7
Civil Liberties Score: 6
Status: Not Free
Overview
In March 2009, President Raul Castro fired several prominent cabinet ministers amid a worsening economic crisis. Also during the year,
former leader Fidel Castro appeared to regain his health and wrote frequent essays in the state press, sparking speculation that his
renewed influence could slow Cuba’s reform process. In November, noted blogger Yoani Sanchez reported being beaten and intimidated
by suspected government agents. Cuban authorities in December arrested a U.S. contractor for distributing communications equipment
to religious groups, although he remained in detention without being formally charged.
In 2009, the government began to distribute land leases to agricultural workers, but other key aspects of the reform agenda remained
stalled. Cuba’s heavy dependence on imports led to a shortage of foreign exchange, forcing layoffs and closures at many state
enterprises, and the threat of blackouts led to electricity rationing during the summer.
In March, Raul Castro dismissed Vice President Carlos Lage and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque as part of a major cabinet
shakeup. Fidel Castro later accused the two figures of being seduced by “the honey of power.” In all, 10 cabinet officials were replaced,
and the president subsequently postponed the long-overdue Sixth Party Congress, a major leadership conference that had been scheduled
for the second half of 2009. Fidel’s health and influence seemed to improve during the year, casting further doubts on Raul’s initial
policies.
Cuba continued to deny political and civil liberties to regime opponents in 2009. According to the Cuban Commission on Human Rights,
a nongovernmental group, the number of political prisoners grew slightly to 208 by mid-2009, but had declined to 201 by year’s end.
Harassment and short-term detentions replaced long prison terms as the preferred form of repression, although some dissidents won
reprieves from the government. In June, prominent dissident and neurosurgeon Hilda Molina was granted a long-sought exit visa so that
she could join family members in Argentina; the move, which came just before elections in Argentina, indicated a political compromise
between Argentine and Cuban leaders. In October, political prisoners Nelson Alberto Aguiar Ramirez and Omelio Lazaro Angulo Borrero,
who had been arrested in the 2003 crackdown, were released following an intercession on their behalf by the visiting Spanish foreign
minister. Several dissident groups praised the government’s decision to allow Colombian pop singer Juanes to organize a major Havana
concert promoting “Peace Without Borders,” which took place in September with more than one million Cubans in attendance.
In April, the administration of newly elected U.S. president Barack Obama repealed all restrictions on the ability of Cuban Americans to
visit Cuba or send money to their Cuban relatives. In June, the United States joined in the repeal of a 1962 resolution that had suspended
Cuba’s membership in the Organization of American States, but the Castro government rejected any interest in rejoining the group.
Nevertheless, diplomatic contacts between the United States and Cuba increased during the year, including the resumption of stalled
bilateral migration talks and negotiations on the restoration of direct postal service. The tentative thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations was
threatened in December, when Cuban authorities arrested U.S. contractor Alan Gross, reportedly for distributing communications
equipment to religious nongovernmental organizations. While Cuban officials publicly claimed that Gross was a “spy,” he remained in
detention without being formally charged.
Click here to read more »
USA: Amnesty International seeks review of case of the ‘Cuban Five’
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
13 October 2010
In a report sent to the US government and released today, Amnesty International outlines its concerns about the fairness of the trial of
five men convicted in 2001 of acting as intelligence agents for Cuba and related charges. The five are serving terms ranging from 15
years to life in US federal prisons.
The five -- Cuban nationals Fernando González, Gerardo Hernández and Ramón Labañino, and US nationals Antonio Guerrero and René
González -- were tried in Miami and convicted on various counts, including acting and conspiring to act as unregistered agents of the
Republic of Cuba, fraud and misuse of identity documents and, in the case of three of the accused, conspiracy to transmit national
defence information. Gerardo Hernández was further convicted of conspiracy to murder, based on his alleged role in the 1996 shoot-
down by Cuba of two planes operated by a US anti-Castro organization, Brothers to the Rescue, in which four people died.
In a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder on 4 October, enclosing its report -- The Case of the ‘Cuban Five’, AI Index AMR
51/093/2010 -- Amnesty International said that, while it did not take a position on whether the five men were guilty or innocent of the
charges against them, it believed there were doubts about the fairness and impartiality of the trial which have not been resolved on appeal.
A central, underlying concern related to the fairness of holding the trial in Miami, given the pervasive hostility to the Cuban government
in that area and media and other events before and during the trial. As described in Amnesty International’s report, there was evidence to
suggest that these factors made it impossible to ensure a wholly impartial jury.
Other concerns included questions about the strength of the evidence to support the conspiracy to murder conviction in the case of
Gerardo Hernández, and whether the circumstances of the pre-trial detention of the five men, in which they had limited access to their
attorneys and to documents, may have undermined their right to defence.
Amnesty International has called on the government to review the case and mitigate any injustice through the clemency process or other
appropriate means, should further legal appeals prove ineffective.
Amnesty International has also reiterated its concern about the repeated denials by the US government of temporary visas to allow the
Cuban wives of two of the prisoners, René González and Gerardo Hernández, to visit their husbands. The organization is concerned that
such a blanket or permanent bar on visits with their wives constitutes additional punishment and is contrary to international standards for
the humane treatment of prisoners and states’ obligation to protect family life. Amnesty International continues to urge the government
to grant the wives temporary visas on humanitarian grounds.
Click here to read more »
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
13 October 2010
In a report sent to the US government and released today, Amnesty International outlines its concerns about the fairness of the trial of
five men convicted in 2001 of acting as intelligence agents for Cuba and related charges. The five are serving terms ranging from 15
years to life in US federal prisons.
The five -- Cuban nationals Fernando González, Gerardo Hernández and Ramón Labañino, and US nationals Antonio Guerrero and René
González -- were tried in Miami and convicted on various counts, including acting and conspiring to act as unregistered agents of the
Republic of Cuba, fraud and misuse of identity documents and, in the case of three of the accused, conspiracy to transmit national
defence information. Gerardo Hernández was further convicted of conspiracy to murder, based on his alleged role in the 1996 shoot-
down by Cuba of two planes operated by a US anti-Castro organization, Brothers to the Rescue, in which four people died.
In a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder on 4 October, enclosing its report -- The Case of the ‘Cuban Five’, AI Index AMR
51/093/2010 -- Amnesty International said that, while it did not take a position on whether the five men were guilty or innocent of the
charges against them, it believed there were doubts about the fairness and impartiality of the trial which have not been resolved on appeal.
A central, underlying concern related to the fairness of holding the trial in Miami, given the pervasive hostility to the Cuban government
in that area and media and other events before and during the trial. As described in Amnesty International’s report, there was evidence to
suggest that these factors made it impossible to ensure a wholly impartial jury.
Other concerns included questions about the strength of the evidence to support the conspiracy to murder conviction in the case of
Gerardo Hernández, and whether the circumstances of the pre-trial detention of the five men, in which they had limited access to their
attorneys and to documents, may have undermined their right to defence.
Amnesty International has called on the government to review the case and mitigate any injustice through the clemency process or other
appropriate means, should further legal appeals prove ineffective.
Amnesty International has also reiterated its concern about the repeated denials by the US government of temporary visas to allow the
Cuban wives of two of the prisoners, René González and Gerardo Hernández, to visit their husbands. The organization is concerned that
such a blanket or permanent bar on visits with their wives constitutes additional punishment and is contrary to international standards for
the humane treatment of prisoners and states’ obligation to protect family life. Amnesty International continues to urge the government
to grant the wives temporary visas on humanitarian grounds.
Click here to read more »
Cuba: Cuban Dissident Wins Human Rights Prize
Release Political Prisoners and Dismantle Repressive Laws
October 21, 2010
(New York) - The European Parliament's award of its Sakharov prize for human rights to Guillermo Fariñas, the Cuban dissident who
held a hunger strike to call for the release of other political prisoners, is a welcome step, Human Rights Watch said today. Since Fariñas
ended his 135-day hunger strike, Cuba has released more than 40 political prisoners, forcing most into exile in Spain.
Human Rights Watch urges Cuba to unconditionally release all political prisoners and to respect their fundamental rights, including their
right to remain in Cuba if they wish. Cuba should also reform its repressive laws, such as the "dangerousness" statute, which allow the
government to criminalize all forms of dissent.
Raul Castro's government should allow Fariñas to travel to Europe to accept the prize, as well as belatedly permit the Damas de Blanco
(Ladies in White), who were awarded the Sakharov prize in 2005, to travel to accept their prize, a right that has been denied to them.
"Fariñas's hunger strike made it impossible for the world to ignore the dissidents imprisoned in Cuba," said Jose Miguel Vivanco,
Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "The Sakharov prize highlights Cuba's responsibility to free every last political prisoner and
dismantle the laws that punish dissent."
Click here to read more »
Release Political Prisoners and Dismantle Repressive Laws
October 21, 2010
(New York) - The European Parliament's award of its Sakharov prize for human rights to Guillermo Fariñas, the Cuban dissident who
held a hunger strike to call for the release of other political prisoners, is a welcome step, Human Rights Watch said today. Since Fariñas
ended his 135-day hunger strike, Cuba has released more than 40 political prisoners, forcing most into exile in Spain.
Human Rights Watch urges Cuba to unconditionally release all political prisoners and to respect their fundamental rights, including their
right to remain in Cuba if they wish. Cuba should also reform its repressive laws, such as the "dangerousness" statute, which allow the
government to criminalize all forms of dissent.
Raul Castro's government should allow Fariñas to travel to Europe to accept the prize, as well as belatedly permit the Damas de Blanco
(Ladies in White), who were awarded the Sakharov prize in 2005, to travel to accept their prize, a right that has been denied to them.
"Fariñas's hunger strike made it impossible for the world to ignore the dissidents imprisoned in Cuba," said Jose Miguel Vivanco,
Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "The Sakharov prize highlights Cuba's responsibility to free every last political prisoner and
dismantle the laws that punish dissent."
Click here to read more »
Speech Delivered by H.E. Mr. Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla at the United Nations General Assembly under the item “Necessity of
Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. New
York, October 26, 2010.
Mr. President;
We Cubans feel proud of our work. If this economic warfare, although causing hardships, has not taken a toll on human lives or
managed to provoke generalized traumatic damage to our people, is because of the efforts and sacrifices made by Cubans and the
willingness and determination of its government.
Although the economic harassment has been the main obstacle hindering the development of our country and the improvement of the
living standards of our people, Cuba can show undeniable results in the eradication of poverty and hunger, in the fields of health and
education -which have become a world referent-, the promotion of gender equality, freedom and equitable well-being for all Cubans,
social consensus, democratic participation by all citizens in the country’s decisions, the reversal of environmental degradation and the
development of international cooperation with a hundred countries of the Third World.
A few weeks ago Cuba was able to declare here it had largely and exceptionally complied with the Millennium Development Goals.
These results achieved by Cuba are still a utopia for a large segment of people in this planet.
We Cubans face our historical destiny with optimism, commitment and creativity. We are inspired by the feelings of peace, justice and
solidarity that have characterized our people and the friendship with which the world identifies itself with our free and rebellious Island.
Cuba will continue to be ready to establish peaceful and respectful relations with the United States, as it has with the overwhelming
majority of the international community and the entire hemisphere.
Cuba will never cease to denounce the blockade; it will never cease to demand its people’s legitimate right to live and work for its social
and economic development under conditions of equality, in cooperation with other nations, without any economic siege or external
pressures.
Cuba conveys its gratitude to the international community for its firm solidarity with our people, convinced that, some day, justice will
be served and this resolution will no longer be necessary.
Click here to read more »
Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. New
York, October 26, 2010.
Mr. President;
We Cubans feel proud of our work. If this economic warfare, although causing hardships, has not taken a toll on human lives or
managed to provoke generalized traumatic damage to our people, is because of the efforts and sacrifices made by Cubans and the
willingness and determination of its government.
Although the economic harassment has been the main obstacle hindering the development of our country and the improvement of the
living standards of our people, Cuba can show undeniable results in the eradication of poverty and hunger, in the fields of health and
education -which have become a world referent-, the promotion of gender equality, freedom and equitable well-being for all Cubans,
social consensus, democratic participation by all citizens in the country’s decisions, the reversal of environmental degradation and the
development of international cooperation with a hundred countries of the Third World.
A few weeks ago Cuba was able to declare here it had largely and exceptionally complied with the Millennium Development Goals.
These results achieved by Cuba are still a utopia for a large segment of people in this planet.
We Cubans face our historical destiny with optimism, commitment and creativity. We are inspired by the feelings of peace, justice and
solidarity that have characterized our people and the friendship with which the world identifies itself with our free and rebellious Island.
Cuba will continue to be ready to establish peaceful and respectful relations with the United States, as it has with the overwhelming
majority of the international community and the entire hemisphere.
Cuba will never cease to denounce the blockade; it will never cease to demand its people’s legitimate right to live and work for its social
and economic development under conditions of equality, in cooperation with other nations, without any economic siege or external
pressures.
Cuba conveys its gratitude to the international community for its firm solidarity with our people, convinced that, some day, justice will
be served and this resolution will no longer be necessary.
Click here to read more »
TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH BY GOOGLE TRANSLATE
Wednesday November 3, 2010
Activities of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights
by Maria Lopez Baez
Independent journalist
On October 18 at 6:00 pm was arrested and taken to the police to settle the
Facing opposition from hardliners, Ernesto Rodríguez López.
Rodriguez Lopez was interviewed by officers Tamayo, Abel and John in relation to an activity at home, Betancourt appointment Asner
43rd, Los Pinos, where protest burn the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba 1976. Present at the rally were several opponents of the
Cuban Committee for Human Rights and members of other opposition groups.
Click here to read more »
Wednesday November 3, 2010
Activities of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights
by Maria Lopez Baez
Independent journalist
On October 18 at 6:00 pm was arrested and taken to the police to settle the
Facing opposition from hardliners, Ernesto Rodríguez López.
Rodriguez Lopez was interviewed by officers Tamayo, Abel and John in relation to an activity at home, Betancourt appointment Asner
43rd, Los Pinos, where protest burn the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba 1976. Present at the rally were several opponents of the
Cuban Committee for Human Rights and members of other opposition groups.
Click here to read more »
TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH BY GOOGLE TRANSLATE
Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina transferred to the Operations Centre of the State Security Guantánamo.
By Heriberto Leyva Independent Social Activist and Coordinator of Concilio Cubano in New Jersey.
Union City, November 11, 2010
The prominent member of Concilio Cubano and youth leaders would answer Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina casualty was taken to police
headquarters communist politics in the territory known as Guantanamo detention center and operations of state security, said via
telephone from his brother the eastern region Mr. Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina national coordinator of the Eastern Democratic Alliance.
According to dissident sources Nestor Rodriguez is under investigation and under a strict regime prison conditions in a cell walled
feature of this dark torture center of the Castro regime. The authorities, as revealed by Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina are awaiting the
results of the investigation alleged police permit to have the alleged evidence for a prosecution by judicial authorities island community.
The security of the state is waiting for the police to proceed with the lifting of formal charges against the pro-democracy activist known
for them to shape the alleged suspects under indictment on charges of "enemy propaganda" by trying to involve Rodriguez Lobaina
president of the Cuban Youth Movement for Democracy with anti-government posters that appeared in recent days in the city of Guaso.
Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina later notes that in today November 11, 2010 he passed the supplies, and personal care items and family are
waiting 72 hours in detention to officially inform them about your situation legal actual.Con the rest of the activists who were detained in
Guantanamo and Holguin were released, although in the case of Caridad Caballero Batista activist is beaten after his violent arrest in the
province of Holguin. Finally Rolando Rodriguez said his home in the city of Guantanamo is under strict surveillance of the organs of
state security who maintained 24 hours a checkup and a permanent vigil on his person and the environment of their housing, which
shows the real state of emergency repressive living in the province of Guantánamo, where human rights activists and members of civil
society are systematically subjected to the policy of state terrorism by the Cuban government that clings ever closer to political paralysis
The ideological continuity and institutional and structural repression as a substantial part of government policy.
Click here to read more>>
Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina transferred to the Operations Centre of the State Security Guantánamo.
By Heriberto Leyva Independent Social Activist and Coordinator of Concilio Cubano in New Jersey.
Union City, November 11, 2010
The prominent member of Concilio Cubano and youth leaders would answer Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina casualty was taken to police
headquarters communist politics in the territory known as Guantanamo detention center and operations of state security, said via
telephone from his brother the eastern region Mr. Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina national coordinator of the Eastern Democratic Alliance.
According to dissident sources Nestor Rodriguez is under investigation and under a strict regime prison conditions in a cell walled
feature of this dark torture center of the Castro regime. The authorities, as revealed by Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina are awaiting the
results of the investigation alleged police permit to have the alleged evidence for a prosecution by judicial authorities island community.
The security of the state is waiting for the police to proceed with the lifting of formal charges against the pro-democracy activist known
for them to shape the alleged suspects under indictment on charges of "enemy propaganda" by trying to involve Rodriguez Lobaina
president of the Cuban Youth Movement for Democracy with anti-government posters that appeared in recent days in the city of Guaso.
Rolando Rodriguez Lobaina later notes that in today November 11, 2010 he passed the supplies, and personal care items and family are
waiting 72 hours in detention to officially inform them about your situation legal actual.Con the rest of the activists who were detained in
Guantanamo and Holguin were released, although in the case of Caridad Caballero Batista activist is beaten after his violent arrest in the
province of Holguin. Finally Rolando Rodriguez said his home in the city of Guantanamo is under strict surveillance of the organs of
state security who maintained 24 hours a checkup and a permanent vigil on his person and the environment of their housing, which
shows the real state of emergency repressive living in the province of Guantánamo, where human rights activists and members of civil
society are systematically subjected to the policy of state terrorism by the Cuban government that clings ever closer to political paralysis
The ideological continuity and institutional and structural repression as a substantial part of government policy.
Click here to read more>>
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General Raul Castro Ruz
President of the Council of State and
President of the Council of Ministers since
24 February 2008
President of the Council of State and
President of the Council of Ministers since
24 February 2008
General Jose Ramon Machado Ventura
First Vice President of the Council of State and
First Vice President of the Council of Ministers
since 24 February 2008
First Vice President of the Council of State and
First Vice President of the Council of Ministers
since 24 February 2008
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
Current situation: Cuba is principally a source country for women and children trafficked within the country for the purpose of
commercial sexual exploitation and possibly for forced labor; the country is a destination for sex tourism including child sex tourism,
which is a problem in many areas of the country; some Cuban nationals willingly migrate to the United States but are subsequently
exploited for forced labor by their smugglers; Cuba is also a transit point for the smuggling of migrants from China, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Lebanon, and other nations to the United States and Canada
Tier rating: Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
significant efforts to do so; exact information about trafficking in Cuba is difficult to obtain because the government does not
acknowledge or condemn human trafficking as a problem in Cuba; tangible efforts to prosecute offenders, protect victims, or
prevent human trafficking activity do not appear to have been made during 2008; Cuba has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol
(2009)
commercial sexual exploitation and possibly for forced labor; the country is a destination for sex tourism including child sex tourism,
which is a problem in many areas of the country; some Cuban nationals willingly migrate to the United States but are subsequently
exploited for forced labor by their smugglers; Cuba is also a transit point for the smuggling of migrants from China, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Lebanon, and other nations to the United States and Canada
Tier rating: Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
significant efforts to do so; exact information about trafficking in Cuba is difficult to obtain because the government does not
acknowledge or condemn human trafficking as a problem in Cuba; tangible efforts to prosecute offenders, protect victims, or
prevent human trafficking activity do not appear to have been made during 2008; Cuba has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol
(2009)
General Raul Castro Ruz
President of the Council of State and
President of the Council of Ministers since
24 February 2008
President of the Council of State and
President of the Council of Ministers since
24 February 2008