Fidel Castro

Cuba is considered a totalitarian communist state that governs its people under the authoritarian rule of General Raul Castro, the younger brother to the country's former leader of nearly half a century, Fidel Castro. Because the Communist Party is recognized by the Cuban constitution as the ONLY legal political party, there is NO OPPORTUNITY for multiparty voices or elections like the ones we have in the United States. ​

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Under this single-party authoritarian rule, the people of Cuba regularly suffer injustices. Due Process, for instance, is often denied to Cuban citizens, especially in cases involving political offenses. *** An example of a "political offense" would be speaking out against the government *** In fact, the constitution itself states that civil liberties can be denied to anyone who opposes the "decision of the Cuban people to build socialism."

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The Cuban government severly restricts freedom of speech and the press, and even goes so far as to block citizen access to independent web sites. The government also routinely prevents citizens from leaving the country or emigrating because of their political views. ​In contrast, democratic nations like the United States allow their citizens to freely leave and re-enter the country without hassle.

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The Cuban government repeatedly violates international labor standards. Workers are NOT allowed to join unions that advocate for workers. And what makes things worse is workers regularly lose their jobs for their political beliefs, and salaries are often not high enough to meet basic shelter, food, and clothing costs.

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Although Cuba's government has been consistently oppressive for many decades, there is some hope that change is in the air. Demostrators BOTH in Cuba and the United States have become more vocal in recent years with the hope that political change is on the horizon. ​In recent years very large Cuban demonstrations calling for more freedoms and an end to oppression in Cuba have occurred in the city of Miami, Florida.

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