Cuba erases communism and seeks lasting socialism in its new Magna Carta



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The new Cuban Constitution, whose text began to be debated this Saturday in Parliament, eliminates the term communism, integrates the economic reforms of Raúl Castro in the last decade in favor of a sustainable socialism with private property and opens the doors to marriage

The more than 600 deputies of the National Assembly of Popular Power (Unicameral Parliament) are convened from Saturday to Monday in Havana to polish the 224 articles divided into 11 titles, 24 chapters and 16 sections of the new Carta Magna, at a meeting without access to the foreign press

The draft under discussion amends 113 articles, adds 87 and eliminates 11 compared to the Constitution of the current 1976 to adapt the new text to the economic reality, and social policy of Cuba and the international community, explained the Secretary of the State Council, Homero Acosta, in a speech In the economic sphere, the new constitutional proposal reflects this objective by only mentioning "socialism" as state policy, contrary to the current text which, in Article 5, states "progress towards communist society".

In addition, Article 21 of the forthcoming Constitution recognizes "other forms of property such as cooperatives, mixed property and private property", which also represents a significant change from the 1976 document that recognizes only Similarly, the draft bill considers foreign investment as "a necessity and an important element of development," in an attempt to attract foreign currency in order to And to mitigate the endemic economic crisis in the country, which could worsen if instability increases in Venezuela, its main partner and defender.

The constitutional opening to private capital underlies the reforms applied by the former leader Raul Castro since 2006, which has legalized self-employment – called on the island "cuentapropismo" – in sectors such as hospitality, transportation or tourism, and that was continued by President Miguel Díaz-Canel April of this year

More limited are the changes that the new Constitution will impose in the political sphere, where the "socialist character of the political and social system" under the command of the Communist Party of Cuba (only legal) is maintained as "

In this area, the most important proposals of the draft are the creation of the figure of the President of the Republic, head of state who must badume the position with less than 60 years and limit his term of office to a maximum of a decade, as well as the new post of prime minister to the head of the mini council the highest executive body of the state.

In addition, the draft establishes that the State Council, The next government, headed by the country's president, is now headed by the president of the National Assembly.

In foreign policy, the provisional text of the new Magna Carta establishes a "multipolar vision in international relations" to avoid the "hegemonism and domination" of foreign powers although it omits the term "imperialism", always in the mouths of its leaders to define the strategy of the United States and its allies.

Read also: Who is Miguel Díaz-Canel, the president of Cuba who does not have the nickname of Castro?

In the social sphere, the redefinition of marriage imposes as "the union between two people", which would open the door to the legalization of the egalitarian union, one of the main claims of the LGTBI collective in the Caribbean country.

"He does not say that it's about equal marriage, it's just breaking that barrier so that in the future it could be incorporated," explained the secretary The State Council, which emphasized the need to amend certain aspects of the Civil and Family Code to make this goal a reality.

In any case, constitutional change will be a big step in favor of LGBTI rights in a country where only a few decades ago homobaduals were persecuted as "social scourges" and in many cases they were interned in military work camps.

The secular character of the state is also maintained and religious freedom ratified. He has been criticized by dissidents and foreign organizations accusing the Cuban government of repressing the right to worship.

The text presented today in Parliament also proposes to amend eleven laws and the penal, civil and family codes after the ratification of the following Carta Magna

MEPs will approve the draft Monday, even if the latter must still submit to a popular consultation and finally or a referendum in which the citizens allow the implementation of the new Cuban Constitution.

Equality of Marriage

The National Assembly of People's Power (Unicameral Parliament) of Cuba addressed equal marriage during the second of three days. sessions to discuss the draft of a new Constitution reflecting the economic, social and political reality of the country.

More than 600 deputies evaluated at the beginning of the session -televised by the Cuban state network and without access to foreign media – The union of couples without gender discrimination, proposal contained in Article 68 of the draft constitution that would lay the groundwork for the legalization of same-bad marriages.

"With this proposal for a constitutional settlement, Cuba is among the vanguard countries, in the recognition and guarantee of human rights," said MP Mariela Castro, daughter of Former president Ra l Castro, one of the leading promoters of the LGTBI community rights recognition on the island.

This point, referred to section 68, which deals with the consensual union between two persons, aroused active debate at the meeting. this Sunday, which also took into account the offspring of same-bad couples, either through adoption or badisted reproduction.

Castro proposed, from a technical point of view, the separation of the rights that are reached in marriage, the responsibilities that are badumed with the care and attention to the children.

In this sense, the deputy Yolanda Ferrer felt that in life as a couple when two people make a life together "does not always have that offspring, but a shared responsibility of the law, and the law must determine the form that is constituted. "

Another deputy, Daicar Saladrigas, from the Municipality of Camagüey (east), proposed to change the term" freedom of expression "in the 39 draft "freedom of expression", considering it more widely, in accordance with the current reality and recognized by international organizations.

The representatives of the parliamentary commission that drafted the proposal of the deputy, so that the change could be reflected in the final document of the supreme order of the country.

In reviewing the articles that deal with the protection of the family, emphasis has been placed on the responsibility in the care and attention to the elderly in Cuba, where there has been a gradual aging of the population, one of the great challenges of society and the state health system.

In these debates began last Saturday the 224 articles divided into 11 titles, 24 chapters and 16 sections of the new Magna Carta are debated one by one, the provisional text amends 113 articles Ulos, adds 87 and eliminates 11 in relation to the current Constitution of 1976.

In the preliminary draft of the debate, there are important changes in the economic sphere compared to the current text, as the suppression of the term communism This is at the based on the reforms implemented by Raúl Castro since 2006, which legalized companies out of the state in certain sectors such as the hotel, transport and other services, President Miguel Díaz- Canel after taking power in April of this year.

More limited are the changes that the new Constitution will impose in the political sphere, where the "socialist character of the political and social system" is maintained under the command of Communist Party of Cuba (only legal) as "superior leadership force"

There are, however, some structural changes such as the institution of the figure of the President of the Republic, who must occupy the position with less than 60 years and limit his tenure to ten years or so maximum, as well as the new post of prime minister to lead the Council of Ministers, the highest executive body of the state. 19659002] The deputies of the National Assembly will approve the draft on Monday, although it will still have to submit to a popular referendum and finally to a referendum in which the citizens will authorize the application of the new Cuban Constitution.

He hopes that in the last session of tomorrow, 87-year-old Raúl Castro will intervene, leaving in April the presidency to Díaz Canel (58), the first Cuban-born state leader after the Spanish Revolution. 1959.

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