Politics of Cuba in the context of "Council of State (Cuba)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Politics of Cuba

Cuba is communist and has had a socialist political system since 1961 based on the "one state, one party" principle. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a single-party Marxist–Leninist socialist republic with semi-presidential powers. The present Constitution of Cuba, approved in a referendum on 24 February 2019, also describes the role of the Communist Party of Cuba to be the "leading force of society and of the state" and as having the capability of setting national policy, and the first secretary of the Communist Party is the most powerful position in Cuba. The 2019 Constitution of Cuba states it is guided by the examples of Cuban independence hero José Martí and revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and the ideals of Marx, Engels, and Lenin.

The president of Cuba is Miguel Díaz-Canel, who succeeded Raúl Castro as first secretary of the Communist Party in 2021. Executive power is exercised by the government, which is represented by the Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister of Cuba. Legislative power is exercised through the unicameral National Assembly of People's Power, which is constituted as the maximum authority of the state. With effect from 10 October 2019, Miguel Díaz-Canel is the president and Manuel Marrero is the prime minister of Cuba. The previous president of the State Council was Raúl Castro, brother of former leader Fidel Castro; Raúl Castro remained First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, and commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces until 19 April 2021. Fidel Castro ruled from 1959 to 2006, before illness forced him to hand power to his brother. Esteban Lazo Hernández is the president of the National Assembly.

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Politics of Cuba in the context of Women in Cuba

Women in Cuba have the same constitutional rights as men in the economic, political, cultural and social fields, as well as in the family. Cuba is regarded as a regional front-runner in women's rights. According to Article 44 of the Cuban Constitution, "The state guarantees women the same opportunities and possibilities as men in order to achieve woman’s full participation in the development of the country." As of 2023, women hold 55.7% of the parliamentary seats in the Cuban National Assembly.

Many women in Cuba come from different racial backgrounds including Afro-Cuban women. Along with Afro-Cuban women, women in Cuba, formerly a marginalized group, were able to gain higher educational levels and equal advancements in their respective careers. The 1975 Family Code was designed to allow Cuban women to share the household duties fairly with their spouses. Job opportunities were available in the cities and as a result, many Cuban women left the countryside to work and live in the cities. However, because of the increased number of Cuban women studying and working, the national birth rate has declined. Despite the fact that desegregation was enforced in Cuba, there are still some issues in regards to fair housing in Cuba.

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Politics of Cuba in the context of First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba

The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba is the top leader of Cuba. The first secretary is the highest office within the Communist Party of Cuba, which makes the officeholder the most powerful person in the Cuban party-state. In communist states the first or general secretary of a ruling communist party is typically the de facto leader of the country and a more powerful position than state offices such as President (head of state) or Prime Minister (head of government), when different individuals hold those positions.

The officeholder of the post of first secretary presides over the work of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), which is designated as "the organised vanguard of the Cuban nation" and as "the superior driving force of society and the State" by Article 5 of Cuba's constitution. The PCC Central Committee, the Party's highest political-executive organ between convocations of the party congress, has the right to elect and dismiss the first secretary at one of its sessions. The first secretary is responsible for leading the work of the Secretariat, the Party's highest executive organ, and chairing the sessions of the Politburo, the Party's highest political organ. The current first secretary is Miguel Díaz-Canel, elected by the 1st Session of the 8th Central Committee on 19 April 2021, and he concurrently serves as president of Cuba.

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