Yearbook 2010
Cuba. A dialogue between the Cuban government and
dignitaries from the Catholic Church in Cuba on human rights
began in May and led to somewhat improved conditions for
Cuba's imprisoned political dissidents. In July, it was
announced that 52 prisoners would be released over the
following months. The origin of the government's new
attitude was the Catholic Church's concern that a number of
prisoners had begun hunger strikes to force the release of
political prisoners. One of them, Orlando Zapata Tamayo,
died after the 85-day hunger strike, which prompted fairly
open criticism of the government's human rights system from
above all Cardinal Jaime Ortega.
According to
COUNTRYAAH, Cuba
has a population of 11.34 million (2018). Cautious comments from the authorities on the
introduction of capitalist elements into the economy were
heard during the year, for example in the official body of
the Communist Party Granma. Among other things, decisions
were made on cuts in the public sector and layoffs among the
country's five million government employees, while
permitting some private enterprise, especially in the form
of family businesses, for the first time since 1968. Fidel
Castro even said in his first interview with an American
magazine since the departure in 2006 that the Cuban model no
longer serves the country's interests, but at the same time
added that it does not mean abandoning socialism, but has
just transitioned to a new form of socialism.
According to the Election Commission, turnout in April 25
elections was 95 percent. More than 15,000 candidates, all
from the Communist Party which is the only permitted party,
were elected to the 169 municipal assemblies around the
country.
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