Cuba, the country with the least freedoms in Latin America

Cuba was the country with the least freedoms in Latin America in 2023, in a context marked by inflation, fuel and food shortages, and frequent power outages, according to the latestreport of Non-Governmental OrganizationFreedom House.

That body evaluated the Political Rights and Civil Liberties of Cubans in 2023 on a scale of 100 points in its latest reportFreedom in the World, where the island maintained the 12 points of theevaluation of the year 2022.

"Now it only reaches 12 points. It is the worst qualified in the region," says the organization.

He explains that the economic crisis in Cuba deepened during 2023, with increasing inflation and poverty rates, fuel and food shortages, and frequent power outages.

These economic challenges led to occasional protests and contributed to historic emigration rates in the country, as well as provoking a repressive reaction from the regime.

The report recalls that parliamentary elections were held last March with the lowest voter turnout since 1993. The rulerMiguel Díaz-Canel was re-elected the following month in a practically unanimous vote in the National Assembly.

In this regard, the lack of political pluralism and the absence of fair electoral competition stands out: "The 2023 elections recorded the lowest participation in decades, with around 76%. In addition, all candidates were preselected by the Communist Party of Cuba ( PCC), which limited the opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or access power," he details.

Despite recent reforms allowing some activity in the private sector, the government continues to dominate the economy, the report highlights.

Among the year's notable events is the approval of a new Social Communication Law in May, which limits freedom of expression and the press by restricting non-state media and establishing vague regulations on online content.

Freedom of expression and press in Cuba continues to be restricted, with a media environment highly controlled by the State. Independent media are considered "enemy propaganda" and journalists face harassment, arrests and threats. The passage of more restrictive laws in 2022 and 2023 has exacerbated the situation, raising concerns both nationally and internationally.

Despite legal reforms in 2019 that recognized private property, opportunities to own property and operate private businesses remain limited. The new expropriation law, effective May 2023, allows the government to confiscate property for "public utility" or "social interest," although compensation is required.

Regarding individual rights, freedom of movement is restricted, with travel bans for dissidents and journalists, he says.

It mentions that the human rights situation, in general, has been a cause for concern, with reports of state violence against protesters and dissidents.

Despite some advances in social rights, such as the approval of equal marriage in 2022, discrimination and gender violence persist, with a notable increase in cases of femicides in 2023.

Freedom House summarizes that the island faces a complex situation with a combination of economic crisis, limitations on civil liberties and lack of political pluralism, which poses significant challenges for the country in the year 2024.

Freedom in the World is an annual global report on political rights and civil liberties, composed of numerical ratings and descriptive text for each country and a select group of territories.

The report's methodology is largely derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, based on the premise that these standards apply to all countries and territories, regardless of their status. geographic location, ethnic or religious composition, or level of economic development.