Ethnicity: About half the population are of mulatto (mixed European and African) descent. About 40% are of entirely European (mainly Spanish) descent, while 10% are of African descent.
Independent Cuba suffered from chronic bad government and corruption, as well as frequent interference from the US. General Gerardo Machado, elected President in 1925, established a dictatorship which lasted until 1933. President Ramón Grau San Martín (1944-48) tried to implement the liberal reforms the country badly needed, but his successor Carlos Prío Socarrás, elected at Cuba's last free election in 1948, reverted to old corrupt ways. Fulgencio Batista seized power in 1952 and established a dictatorship, which collaped in 1959 when rebel forces led by Fidel Castro seized power. Castro came to power promising democracy and reform, but in the face of American hostility he aligned himself with the Communists and by 1963 he had established a Communist dictatorship supported by the Soviet Union. Although his anti-Americanism and many of his social reforms won him great popularity in Cuba and beyond, his regime has always ruthlessly repressed those who have called for democracy or wider personal freedoms. The Communist Party of Cuba is the only legal political party. The end of Soviet aid in 1991 created an economic crsis which has weakened the regime. But there seems little chance that it will fall while Castro is alive, such is the power of his mystique. His designated heir, his brother Raul, has none of his charisma, and there may be rapid change after Castro, who is 77, departs. Human Rights Watch's 2002 Report on Cuba noted that: "A one-party state, Cuba restricted nearly all avenues of political dissent. Although the criminal prosecution of opposition figures was becoming increasingly rare, prison remained a plausible threat to Cubans considering nonviolent political dissent. The government also frequently silenced its critics by using short-term detentions, house arrests, travel restrictions, threats, surveillance, politically-motivated dismissals from employment, and other forms of harassment. "Cuba's legal and institutional structures were at the root of rights violations. The rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly, movement, and the press were strictly limited under Cuban law. By criminalising enemy propaganda, the spreading of "unauthorized news," and insult to patriotic symbols, the government curbed freedom of speech under the guise of protecting state security. The government also imprisoned or ordered the surveillance of individuals who had committed no illegal act. The government-controlled courts undermined the right to fair trial by restricting the right to a defense, and frequently failed to observe the few due process rights available to defendants under domestic law." There is a useful collection of news and links relating to Cuban politics at the Cuba Source website. |
