Cuba: Politics and Governance

Cuba is a unitary, one-party socialist republic governed under the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, the only legally recognized political party. The 2019 constitution establishes the National Assembly of People's Power as the highest legislative authority, which elects the President of the Republic and the Council of State. State institutions oversee most economic and social activity, and the party plays a central role in shaping policy at all levels of government.

Since Raúl Castro succeeded his brother Fidel in 2008 and later stepped back from formal leadership roles, Cuba has undergone a gradual generational transition, with Miguel Díaz-Canel becoming President in 2018 and First Secretary of the Communist Party in 2021. The government maintains close scrutiny of political dissent, and relations with the United States remain shaped by the decades-long trade embargo, periods of diplomatic thaw, and continued disagreements over human rights and governance.