Country Reports on Human Rights practices, 2004
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

Cuba (part 1 of 3)

Introduction
Cuba is a totalitarian state controlled by Fidel Castro , who is chief of state with the titles of president, head of government, first secretary of the Communist Party (CP), and commander in chief of the armed forces. The regime exercises control over all aspects of life through the CP and its affiliated mass organizations, the government bureaucracy headed by the Council of State, and the state security apparatus. In March 2003, he declared his intent to remain in power for life. The CP is the only legal political entity, and President Castro personally chooses the membership of the Politburo, the select group that heads the CP. There are no contested elections for the 609 member National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP), which meets twice a year for several days to rubber stamp decisions and policies previously decided by the governing Council of State. In 2003, government supporters won all 609 ANPP seats in uncontested elections. In 2003, the Government also held a referendum making the socialist character of the constitution "untouchable." The CP controls all government positions, including judicial offices. The judiciary is completely subordinate to the Government and to the CP.

The Ministry of Interior is the principal instrument of state security and control. Officers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, which are led by Fidel Castro's brother, General Raul Castro, have occupied the majority of key positions in the Ministry of Interior during the past 15 years. In addition to the routine law enforcement functions of regulating migration and controlling the Border Guard and the regular police forces, the Interior Ministry's Department of State Security investigated and suppressed political opposition and dissent. It maintained a pervasive system of surveillance through undercover agents, informers, rapid response brigades (RRBs), and neighborhood based Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs). The Government traditionally has used the CDRs to mobilize citizens against dissenters, impose ideological conformity, and root out "counterrevolutionary" behavior. RRBs consisted of workers from a particular brigade such as construction or factory workers organized by the CP to react forcefully to any situation of social unrest. The Government on occasion used RRBs instead of the police or military during such situations. Members of the security forces committed numerous, serious human rights abuses.

The economy was centrally planned, with some elements of state managed capitalism in sectors such as tourism and mining. The country's population was approximately 11 million. Exports largely were restricted to primary products such as sugar and minerals, but tourism and emigre remittances were key sources of hard currency. Inefficiency, outdated infrastructure, and natural disasters led to the lowest sugar harvest in 70 years in 2003, with only a slight recovery during the year and continued low yields projected for 2005. The Government announced economic growth of 5 percent during the year using a new, unique way of calculating gross domestic product that ostensibly gives greater weight to social programs.

The State controlled approximately 90 percent of the formal economy, and the Government continued to harass citizens working in the underground economy. Less than 2 percent of citizens worked in the highly regulated private sector. In August, the Government issued a resolution allowing citizens with certain private sector licenses to exercise the right to work in the licensed field only after completing a full day of work in their regular government job. In October, the Government began a policy of cancelling the issuance of new work licenses in 40 private sector categories.

Government policy officially was aimed at preventing economic disparity, but citizens with access to foreign currency enjoyed a significantly higher standard of living than those with only pesos. In November, after 9 years as legal tender, the Government disallowed the use of the U.S. dollar and began charging a 10 percent surcharge to exchange dollars to "convertible pesos." A convertible peso is equivalent to one U.S. dollar. The vast majority of citizens earned their salaries in pesos and only had access to convertible pesos if they worked in the tourist sector or received remittances from abroad. A system of "tourism apartheid" continued, whereby citizens often were denied access to hotels, beaches, and resorts reserved for foreigners.

The Government's human rights record remained poor, and the Government continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. Citizens did not have the right to change their government peacefully. Although the Constitution allows legislative proposals backed by at least 10,000 citizens to be submitted directly to the ANPP, in 2002 and 2003, the Government rejected 2 petitions, known as the Varela Project, with more than 25,000 signatures, calling for a national referendum on political and economic reforms. CP affiliated mass organizations tightly controlled elections to provincial and national legislative bodies, resulting in the selection of single, government approved candidates. In March 2003, the Government arrested 75 human rights activists, subjected them to summary trials, and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 6 to 28 years. During the year, authorities arrested an additional 22 human rights activists and sentenced them for acts such as contempt for authority.

Members of the security forces and prison officials continued to beat and abuse detainees and prisoners, including human rights activists. The Government failed to prosecute or sanction adequately members of the security forces and prison guards who committed abuses. Prison conditions remained harsh and life threatening, and the Government restricted medical care to some prisoners as a method of control. Prisoners died in jail due to lack of medical care. The authorities routinely continued to harass, threaten, arbitrarily arrest, detain, imprison, and defame human rights advocates and members of independent professional associations, including journalists, economists, doctors, and lawyers. The Government denied political dissidents and human rights advocates due process and subjected them to unfair trials. The Government infringed on citizens' privacy rights. The Government denied citizens the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and association and closely monitored domestic and international journalists through physical and electronic surveillance. It limited the distribution of foreign publications and news, restricted access to the Internet, and strictly censored news and information. The Government restricted some religious activities but permitted others. The Government limited the entry of religious workers to the country. The Government tightly restricted freedom of movement, including foreign travel, and did not allow some citizens to leave the country. The Government controlled internal movements and used external exile to punish dissenters. The Government did not permit domestic human rights groups to function legally, sharply and publicly rejected all criticism of its human rights practices, and discouraged foreign contacts with human rights activists. Violence against women, especially domestic violence, and underage prostitution were problems. Racial discrimination was a problem. The Government severely restricted worker rights, including the right to form independent unions.

Go to Part 2, Respect for Human Rights