Cuba, the country with the least freedom in Latin America

According to the NGO’s latest report, Cuba was the country with the least freedom in Latin America in 2023, in terms of inflation, fuel and food shortages and frequent power outages. freedom House,

In its latest report, that organization evaluated Cuba’s political rights and civil liberties in 2023 on a 100-point scale. freedom in the worldwhere the island retained the 12 points Evaluation of year 2022,

“Now it only reaches 12 points. This is the worst qualification in the region,” the organization says.

It reports that the economic crisis in Cuba deepened during 2023, with inflation and poverty rates, fuel and food shortages, and frequent power cuts.

These economic challenges have led to periodic protests and contributed to historic migration rates into the country, as well as a repressive response from the regime.

The report recalls that parliamentary elections held last March saw the lowest turnout since 1993. ruler Miguel Diaz-Canel re-elected A practically unanimous vote followed in the National Assembly the following month.

In this regard, the lack of political pluralism and the absence of fair electoral competition come to the fore: “The 2023 elections recorded the lowest participation in decades, with approximately 76%. Furthermore, all candidates were supported by the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC). ), which limited the opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or access power,” he detailed.

The report notes that despite recent reforms allowing some activity in the private sector, the government continues to dominate the economy.

Notable events of the year include the approval in May of a new social communications law, which limits freedom of expression and press by restricting non-state media and establishing vague rules on online content.

Restrictions on freedom of expression and press continue in Cuba, with the media environment highly controlled by the state. Independent media are considered “enemy propaganda” and journalists face harassment, arrest, and threats. The situation is likely to worsen with the passage of more restrictive laws in 2022 and 2023, raising concerns nationally and internationally.

Despite legal reforms recognizing private property in 2019, opportunities to own property and operate private businesses remain limited. The new expropriation law, effective from May 2023, allows the government to seize assets for “public utility” or “social interest”, although compensation is required.

With regard to individual rights, freedom of movement is restricted, there are travel bans for dissidents and journalists, he says.

It noted that the human rights situation, in general, remained a cause for concern, with reports of state violence against protesters and dissidents.

Despite some progress in social rights, such as the approval of equal marriage in 2022, discrimination and gender-based violence continued, with a significant increase in femicide cases in 2023.

Freedom House summarizes that the island is facing a complex situation with an economic crisis, limitations on civil liberties and a lack of political pluralism, which pose significant challenges for the country in the year 2024.

freedom in the world is an annual global report on political rights and civil liberties, composed of numerical ratings and descriptive text for each country and a select group of territories.

The report’s methodology is largely derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, which is based on the premise that these standards apply to all countries and territories, regardless of their status. Geographical location, ethnic or religious composition, or level of economic development.