More About the Constitution / Fernando Dámaso

Fernando Damaso, 12 July 2018 — The 1940 Constitution, considered one of the most democratic, advanced and well-balanced constitutions in the world, was prepared by important and well-known representatives of Cuban society, politics and economics, selected by way of free and honest elections, to form the Constituent Assembly, in order that each party could publicly … Continue reading “More About the Constitution / Fernando Dámaso”

Reform the Essence of the Constitution, Not the Letter

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 20 July 2018 — Despite the scarcity of information and the absence of public debate that have characterized the process of constitutional reform in Cuba, several civil society groups, the political opposition and the independent press have criticized some postulates announced by the official media. In this context, the draft constitutional … Continue reading “Reform the Essence of the Constitution, Not the Letter”

The “New” Cuban Constitution: Defeat or Opportunity? / Cubanet, Miriam Celaya

Miriam Celaya, Cubanet, West Palm Beach, 28 June 2018 — A recent inquiry by colleagues Ana León and Augusto César San Martín about the expectations of several citizens, in the face of the constitutional reform, arouses reflection on some of the numerous gaps in the field of civic culture and rights ailing the Cuban population. … Continue reading “The “New” Cuban Constitution: Defeat or Opportunity? / Cubanet, Miriam Celaya”

A New Constitution / Fernando Damaso

Fernando Damaso,6 June 2018 — The history of Cuban constitutions is an interesting one. All of them — beginning with the Guáimaro constitution (1869), continuing on to Jimaguayú constitution (1895), the Yaya and Santa Cruz constitutions (1897 and 1898), the constitution of 1901, and the constitutional reforms of 1928 and 1940 — left open the … Continue reading “A New Constitution / Fernando Damaso”

Deputies Unanimously Entrust Reform of the Constitution to Raúl Castro

14ymedio, Havana, 2 June 2018 — In an extraordinary session without surprises, the National Assembly voted unanimously on Saturday for Raúl Castro to preside over the commission that will carry out the reform of the Constitution. With this decision the parliamentarians have granted the former president and general secretary of the Communist Party (PCC) the leadership … Continue reading “Deputies Unanimously Entrust Reform of the Constitution to Raúl Castro”

A Highly Questionable Constitution / Fernando Dámaso

Fernando Dámaso, 29 February 2016 — The current constitution — ratified on February 24, 1976 and with significant amendments added in both 1992 and 2002 — was based on document developed by the executive committees of the Council of Ministers and the Politburo, and submitted to the chairman of a drafting committee created for this … Continue reading “A Highly Questionable Constitution / Fernando Dámaso”

Forty Years Later, What Does The Cuban Constitution Need? / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua

14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua, Havana, 23 January 2016 – Forty years in the life a nation is a short time in the long span of history. In politics, on the other hand, three generations are enough to measure the significance of accomplishments that mark a specific period. With the Socialist Constitution of Cuba turning 40, … Continue reading “Forty Years Later, What Does The Cuban Constitution Need? / 14ymedio, Manuel Cuesta Morua”

The Constitution of La Yaya and the Future Cuban Constitution / Dimas Castellanos

On the 29th of October of 1897 in the pasture of La Yaya, in Sibanicú, Camagüey, the drafting of what would become the last mambí Constitution came to an end. The resulting text represented a qualitative leap forward in Cuba’s constitutional history. This was due to the inclusion, for the first time, of a dogmatic … Continue reading “The Constitution of La Yaya and the Future Cuban Constitution / Dimas Castellanos”

Cuba Needs a Constitution That Serves Everyone / Ivan Garcia

Some dissidents believe the best place for the current constitution is a waste basket. Laura Diversent, an independent attorney, is more circumspect. “Certainly, today’s constitution has innumerable shortcomings. I don’t believe it would be adequate in a democratic Cuba. But in the early stages, as part of a serious and profound process of reform, the … Continue reading “Cuba Needs a Constitution That Serves Everyone / Ivan Garcia”

Economic Transformations, Property Rights, and Cuba’s Current Constitution / Estado de Sats, Antonio Rodiles

By Antonio Rodiles Introduction The Sixth Congress of the Cuban Communist Party just concluded, leaving a trail of questions to be clarified. Most of the televised debates turned into semantic discussions, while a few dealt with practical mechanisms to achieve stated objectives. Listening to the speeches, which at some moments were limited exclusively to mentioning … Continue reading “Economic Transformations, Property Rights, and Cuba’s Current Constitution / Estado de Sats, Antonio Rodiles”

Vladimiro Roca, Doyen of the Cuban Opposition, Dies at 80

14ymedio, Havana, 30 July 2023 — The Cuban opponent Vladimiro Roca Antúnez has died this Sunday afternoon in Havana at the age of 80. Doyen of dissidence on the Island, the economist and Social Democratic politician had been suffering from diabetes and Alzheimer’s for some time, according to sources close to the family. Born in … Continue reading “Vladimiro Roca, Doyen of the Cuban Opposition, Dies at 80”

Cuba’s New Laws, a Strategy for the Debacle / Dimas Castellano

Dimas Castellanos, 1 July 2021 —  To improve the image of Cuban laws — outdated with respect to the international legal system — the Supreme People’s Court (TSP) submitted four preliminary drafts to the National Assembly of People’s Power for approval: Law on the Courts of Justice, Code of Proceedings, Law on Administrative Procedure and … Continue reading “Cuba’s New Laws, a Strategy for the Debacle / Dimas Castellano”

Testimony of Lazaro Yuri Valle Roca Currently Being Held at Combinado del Este Prison / Ivan Garcia

From the Blog: Iván García at Desde de la Habana, 4 July 2022, Havana Author: Lazaro Yuri Valle Roca, political prisoner of conscience. Combinado del Este, maximum security prison, June 25, 2022, three days after being arbitrarily and unjustly tried by a court. I write these lines to release those thoughts and events that led … Continue reading “Testimony of Lazaro Yuri Valle Roca Currently Being Held at Combinado del Este Prison / Ivan Garcia”

The Cause of the 11 July Demonstrations is Internal, the Way Out is in Democratization / Dimas Castellano

Dimas Castellanos, 19 July 2021 — Men can speed up or slow down historical processes, but only up to a point. The forceful popular demonstrations of 11J (July 11th), unprecedented for their massiveness and spontaneity, definitively confirmed that the crisis in Cuba has no other way out than the participation of Cubans as subjects in the destinies … Continue reading “The Cause of the 11 July Demonstrations is Internal, the Way Out is in Democratization / Dimas Castellano”

The Agent-of-Change Generation

14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, August 8, 2019 — If we accept the convention that a generation spans a period of thirty years, then the so-called “historic generation” would encompass those born between 1910 and 1940. Similarly, the “generation of heirs” — also known as “the grateful generation” — came into the world between 1940 and … Continue reading “The Agent-of-Change Generation”