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Cuba’s one-party communist state outlaws political pluralism, bans independent media, suppresses dissent, and severely restricts basic civil liberties. The government continues to dominate the economy despite recent reforms that permit some private-sector activity. The regime’s undemocratic character has not changed despite a generational transition in political leadership between 2018 and 2021 that included the introduction of a new constitution.
Internet freedom in Cuba continued to decline during the coverage period, as authorities took multiple repressive steps to disrupt protests that occurred throughout 2021. Despite improvements to technical infrastructure, Cuba has one of the lowest connectivity rates in the Western Hemisphere, regular internet access remains extremely expensive, and connections are poor. Authorities both monitor usage and work to direct traffic to the government-controlled intranet. The state engages in content-manipulation efforts and blocks independent news sites. Political dissent is punishable under a wide range of laws, including Decree Laws 35 and 370, which have been used in recent years to intimidate and silence online journalists. A widespread series of public antigovernment protests held in late 2020 and throughout 2021 were facilitated online, as Cubans circumvented government censorship through grassroots digital innovations. The authorities restricted internet connectivity, blocked social media and communications platforms, and selectively disrupted dissidents’ service in response.
Cuba is one of a few extant Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist states,
in which the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the Constitution.
Cuba has an authoritarian regime where political opposition is not permitted.
Censorship of information is extensive and independent journalism is repressed in Cuba;
Reporters Without Borders has characterized Cuba as one of the worst countries in the world for press freedom.
Human rights in Cuba are under the scrutiny of human rights organizations,
which accuse the Cuban government of committing systematic human rights abuses against the Cuban people,
including arbitrary imprisonment and unfair trials.
The Inter American Press Association reported that "repression against independent journalists,
mistreatment of jailed reporters, and very strict government surveillance
limiting the people's access to alternative sources of information are continuing".
The Cuban dissident movement is a political movement in Cuba whose aim is to replace the current government with a liberal democracy.