The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Gina Romero, publicly refuted the Cuban regime's narrative by pointing out that Law No. 54 on Associations severely restricts this fundamental right on the island.
In direct response to the intervention of the Cuban representative at the UN, Romero stated during one of the sessions of the United Nations body that "Law 54 has been in effect for over 40 years" and should be reviewed because it "hinders, if not prevents, the real possibility of freedom of association."
The official emphasized that the regulation, which dates back to 1985, restricts the existence of multiple associations on the same topic, something that "makes no sense" in a diverse civil society.
The observation specifically refers to Article 8, section d, of Law 54/1985, which allows the denial of registration for an organization due to the existence of another with similar purposes, a mechanism that, according to international organizations, the Cuban state uses to maintain total control over civic and political life.
In contrast, the regime's representative defended that "civil society in Cuba plays a fundamental role in all aspects of political and social life," including participation in legislative processes and popular consultations.
“Which political life is being referred to when, according to constitutional norms, only one party can exist, the Communist Party, which controls all areas of the state and society? What human rights are being discussed when in Cuba there are no human rights organizations, not even a state-backed one?” questioned the independent human rights organization Ciudadanía y Libertad, sharing the videos of both interventions through its profile on X.
At the same time, he emphasized that few United Nations mechanisms have so clearly outlined the structural restrictions that hinder the exercise of fundamental rights in Cuba.
The regime's delegation “that for more than six decades has made lies its ministry, surpassed itself again,” the group quipped, describing Romero's response as a brave gesture against official propaganda.
He also asked, "What democratic participation are you talking about if only communist membership is allowed and, within that, there is no option other than obedience to the Castro elite?"
According to Ciudadanía y Libertad, Cuba is a country "where Cubans die due to the inefficiency and disdain of a regime with full coffers that lies, kills, and tortures with impunity."
Citizenship and Freedom was born in 2024, on the eve of the third anniversary of the popular uprising on July 11, 2021, with the aim of defending the rights of association, assembly, and participation in Cuba, and promoting active citizen engagement to transform their reality.
In May 2025, the independent organization officially released its legal report “The Right to Association in Cuba: Legal Architecture of Repression”.
The research reveals how the Cuban regime has designed a legal framework that prevents the existence of independent organizations, criminalizes their development, and subordinates associations to the ideological control of the Communist Party.
It also reviews Cuban laws, from No. 54/1985 to the Penal Code of 2022, including laws 88/1999 and 80/1996, which criminalize the right to associate.
Among the main findings of this report, its authors highlight how regulations hinder plurality or criminalize international funding.
For advocates of human and social rights, the adaptation of the law to the new times of the Law of Associations is crucial, which they describe as “limited,” “obsolete,” and “bureaucratic.”
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