Cuba votes for a new constitution attentive to the crisis in Venezuela and in the eyes of the United States

Cubans go to the polls this Sunday to vote new constitution which reaffirms the communist destiny of the island, amid the strong threats of United States and with eyes on the crisis in Venezuela, the closest ally.

More than eight million Cubans are called to a constitutional referendum that the regime has turned into a plebiscite on the "irrevocable" validity of socialism. And this has tied the vote to the political crisis that runs through the Nicolás Maduro regime.

"Cuba defends # Yes to # Constitution and ratifies support for # Bolivarian Revolution and President Nicolás Maduro", tweeted Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel.

Cuba is waging a mbadive mobilization to try to unite the international community against what it calls an "American military aggression" against its ally.

"Venezuela is not alone. #ManosFueradeVenezuelaAdded Diaz-Canel, for whom the yes is "a vote also for socialism, homeland and revolution", as well as the response of his country to the threats of Donald Trump.

Polling stations will open at 07:00 local time (12:00 pm GMT) and closing is scheduled for 18:00 (23:00 GMT), but the preliminary official results will be known only on Monday afternoon.

In Miami, the president Donald Trump He warned Monday that "the days of socialism and communism are counted in Venezuela, as well as in Nicaragua and Cuba", countries that his administration calls "troika of tyranny".

For the academic Carlos Alzugaray, with this speech, Trump helped promote the # YovotoSí campaign, which the government has deployed in social networks, streets, buses, supermarkets and radio and television stations – all under his control.

"Trump's speech was a good propaganda for yes … There are a lot of people watching this speech who will vote yes because he wants to defend independence from the American threat," he said. Mr. Alzugaray at AFP.

The new constitution, which aims to replace that of 1976, recognizes the market and private and foreign investments as actors of the reform of its Soviet-style economy and with many shortcomings, but still under the leadership of the government unique and dominant. Communist Party.

In the referendum, the illegal opposition, which usually calls for the abstention or the cancellation of the ballots, this time called the "no".

"It is obvious that this does not resonate beyond the no to a constitution, it is a no to a regime that seeks to remain in power," told AFP José Daniel Ferrer, leader of opposition.

Voters must answer a single question: "Do you ratify the new Constitution of the Republic?", And they will have two boxes to indicate "yes" or "no".

"Two options: one that favors the scheme and the other that represents the only opportunity the people have had for years to say no," Ferrer said.

The new Magna Carta has also been heavily criticized by Catholic and Evangelical churches. Catholic bishops opposed the defense of "unique ideology" in the text.

In the era of the Internet, more easily accessible on the island since the deployment in December of 3G, the yes and the uninhibited for months on social networks, blogs and digital portals .

But slogans such as "YovotoNO", promoted by the opposition, never reached their destination when they were shared by SMS, because AFP.

"There was no room for propaganda for no, only for propaganda for yes (…) The message is that those who vote yes are the only patriots," said Mr. Alzugaray .

In a country where voting is voluntary, the government relies on the mbadive victory of yes, which requires 50% + 1 of the electoral list.

The 1976 Constitution was approved by 97.7% of voters and the constitutional reform of 2002 to make socialism "irrevocable" achieved 99.3%.

In the hypothesis that the "no" would prevail, an unprecedented political scenario in 60 years of revolution, the Charter of 76 will remain in force and the government will have to adapt the rules to give a legal floor to the reforms in progress. . Particularly to private entrepreneurs, whose sector represents 13% of the country's working population.

Alzugaray estimated that the new constitution would obtain between "70 and 80%" valid votes: "The society has changed and this change will be reflected in the vote".