Cuba

1. How does Cuba’s government work?
Cuba is a communist totalitarian “police state,” thus the government does not provide much freedom to its citizens. The government does not have a high sentiment of legitimacy from the people, so “intense physical and electronic surveillance of both Cuban citizens and foreign visitors” is common throughout the island nation. Cuba’s current Constitution, put into law in 1992, specifically recognizes the Communist Party as the “leading force of society and of the state.” The highest position of power in Cuba is the first secretary of the Communist Party, who also retains the title of President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers. These two councils consist of members who are voted in by the National Assembly of People’s Power, who also elects the President. This Assembly meets twice a year, and has 609 members. The President of Cuba can serve for five years, and has no limit of the amount of terms he can serve in the future. For its judicial sector, the Supreme Court of Cuba is the “last resort for all appeals against the decision of provincial courts.”

2. What was life like under Fidel Castro’s rule?
Under Fidel Castro, life under Cuba was, for the lack of a better term, miserable for the average Cuban. After the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro took power and, although at first he denied being communist, he nationalized just about every industry and service. The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution was created in 1960 and it called for neighborhood spying for “counter-revolutionary activities,” closed all opposition newspapers, radio and television went under government control, and “moderates, teachers, and professors were purged.” According to Wikipedia, about 20,000 people were held captive and were tortured every year. Fidel put many groups of people, such as homosexuals for example, in concentration camps for “re-education.” The U.S. trade embargo mixed with the dissolution of the Soviet Union would only make situations worse in Cuba. 85% of the Cuban economy disappeared, causing extreme shortages of all necessities.

3. What had changed since Raul Castro has come to power?
Raul Castro, the younger brother of Fidel Castro, came into power when Fidel decided to step down. Even though life in Cuba is by no means prosperous, Raul has been able to make the situation better. Since his election, he has eased government restrictions. For example, Raul has allowed the purchase of products such as DVD-players, computers, rice bookers, and microwaves, and private farmers were given land unused by the government in “an effort to boost food production.” The average Cuban was able to further enjoy more freedoms when state-run companies were reformed to reward harder working employees with better wages, and when cell phone restrictions were removed.

Sources:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raúl_Castro