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(CNN Spanish) -
Cuba is defined in the Constitution as a socialist state that is organized as a unitary republic with a single party: the Communist Party of Cuba.
It has a unicameral National Assembly that is in charge of appointing the president and head of state, a position currently held by Miguel Díaz-Canel, among other positions.
Below we review how the Government of the island is structured.
Form of government organization: unitary republic
In the 2019 Constitution, Cuba is defined as a "socialist state of law and social justice, democratic, independent and sovereign, organized with all and for the good of all as a unitary and indivisible republic."
It is formally designated as the Republic of Cuba.
One-party system
The Magna Carta recognizes the Communist Party as the only party in Cuba, which it defines as "Marti (inspired by the ideals of the writer and politician José Martí), Fidelista, Marxist and Leninist."
The PCC is the "superior leading political force of society and the State" that "organizes and guides the common efforts in the construction of socialism and the advance towards communist society", affirms the Constitution.
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Miguel Díaz-Canel has held the highest-ranking position within the PCC, that of first secretary, since April 2021. Before him, the position had been held by Raúl Castro since 2011. From the founding of the party in 1965 to that moment, the first secretary was Fidel Castro.
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The party has a Central Committee of 150 members and a political bureau of 25 members, which is the one that defines the political guidelines.
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Structure of the State of Cuba
The State of Cuba is organized from four superior bodies: the National Assembly, the Council of State, the Council of Ministers and the Defense Council.
It has a president (head of state) and a vice president appointed by the National Assembly, among other positions.
Four key bodies: National Assembly, Council of State, Council of Ministers and Defense Council
The unicameral National Assembly is elected every five years and has 605 deputies.
The plenary session meets ordinarily only twice a year.
In the event of exceptional circumstances that prevent holding the elections, he may extend his mandate, if there is an agreement of at least two-thirds of the members.
It is in charge of approving the legislation.
The Assembly elects from among the deputies who will make up the Council of State, which operates on the basis of a collegiate system.
This body is in charge of representing the National Assembly between sessions.
In this sense, it has the power to define laws-decrees that must then be ratified by Parliament.
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The Council of Ministers is defined as the "highest executive and administrative body", which "constitutes the Government of the Republic."
It is made up of the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers (six in total), the secretary and the ministers from different areas.
There are currently 25 ministers and a secretary for the sports area who is also part of the Congress.
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For its part, the Defense Council is in charge of directing the country in situations of war or states of emergency.
It is made up of the president, who elects a vice president and other members defined by law
President and Vice President
The president is the head of state.
He is elected by the National Assembly from among its deputies and is accountable to that body.
Their mandate lasts five years and can be extended for an additional five.
To be president, you must be a Cuban citizen by birth, have no other citizenship, be at least 35 years old and at the most 60 years old at the time of the election.
There is a vice president position in the country that must meet similar requirements and is also appointed by the National Assembly.
Currently Miguel Díaz-Canel serves as president and Salvador Valdés Mesa as vice president.
Prime Minister
The 2019 Constitution also created the post of prime minister, which is held by a deputy appointed by the National Assembly based on the president's proposal.
The prime minister is the head of government and holds the position for five years.
Currently the prime minister is Manuel Marrero.
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Elections
The candidates for deputy of the National Assembly that appear in the elections are not chosen by the Communist Party of Cuba, but rather are proposed by mass organizations in the country and the candidates are voted on in assemblies held in each electoral district.
One deputy is elected for every 20,000 inhabitants of a municipality or fraction that has more than 10,000.
If the municipality has 30,000 inhabitants, two are chosen.
All citizens of Cuban nationality over the age of 16 can vote and those over 18 can be candidates.
It is not a requirement to be affiliated with the Cuban Communist Party (the official party) to participate in the elections.
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Electoral campaigns are not carried out as in other Latin American countries: in Cuba only a photo and biography of the candidate circulates and they are disseminated by the Electoral Commission of each municipality.
Whoever gets more than 50% wins.
In the event that this percentage is not achieved by the candidates, a second round is called.
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The deputies, according to the provisions of the Constitution, charge the same as they are paid in their workplace and maintain the link with the place.
Judicial bodies
The State has a General Prosecutor's Office and a Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial body.
This court has a total of 48 judges.
All are elected by the National Assembly and their terms have no term.
The structure also has lay judges (that is, who participate in the tasks of administration of justice without having technical knowledge of law) who are elected by the National Assembly.
Their terms are for five years and they can be re-elected.
Local governments
Cuba is divided into 15 provinces and the Isla de Juventud Special Municipality.
Each of these divisions has a Provincial Government that represents the State and whose objective is "the economic and social development" of the territory.
The provincial government has a governor, a deputy governor and a council, and is in charge of coordination with the central structure and the municipalities.
It also has Municipal Assemblies.
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How was Cuba organized before the 1959 revolution?
From its first Constitution, which dates back to 1901, and until Fulgencio Batista's coup in 1952, Cuba was organized on the basis of three separate powers: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
The Legislative was bicameral: it was made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.