The Positives from the New Cuban Constitution

With a wealth of knowledge and experience in South American relations, Jorge Dominguez spent a large part of his career at Harvard University. Jorge I. Dominguez has researched and written on the politics of Cuba, a country that passed a new constitution in 2019.

In 2019 the Cuban government held a referendum to ratify its constitution for the first time in almost 50 years. This new constitution was meant to bring Cuba up to date with the modern world and help expand its economy. There were more than two million Cubans who voted no on the reforms, as there were some issues that citizens did not agree with. Yet the yes vote garnered a majority, leaving observers with a number of positives to take away from the new constitution.

One major change was the creation of the position of prime minister. As the current president acted as both the head of state and head of government, the changes look to make these roles separate functions.

The new constitution takes a step in the direction of greater private property ownership. While property that is considered ”people’s property” is still under the control of the government, the constitution is recognizing the need for increased ownership rights.

Foreign investment is also considered in the new constitution, as it is considered necessary to help boost the economy. The new constitution promotes and offers guarantees to foreign investors.