Page 23 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

A POR TR AIT OF CUBA  21

Fidel Castro, the Líder Máximo, during a rally in Plaza de la Revolución
The Assembly in turn elects the State for young people (UJC), children (UPCJM),
Council, the Council of Ministers, and the women (FMC), students (FEEM and FEU),
president of the State Council, who is the trade unions (CTC) and small private
head of state and of the government, as farmers (ANAP). The largest of these
well as the judges of the Supreme Court. groups consists of the Committees for
There are also the Provincial and Municipal the Defence of the Revolution (CDR),
Assemblies of the People’s founded in 1960 to watch
Power (Poder Popular), over neighbourhoods and
through which the tackle social issues.
population expresses its Even as Cuba moves into
wishes. Since the only a new phase of increased
political party is the Billboard with political propaganda along international relations and
Cuban Communist Party, the Carretera Central foreign investment in the
which by law cannot country, pride in the
propose candidates, the citizens directly achievements of the revolution remain
elect their candidates. Lastly, there are strong. The hostile relationship with the
many social organizations, to which most US has eased, which was emphasized by
of the citizens belong. These groups are a state visit from President Obama in 2016.
Trade and travel restrictions between the
two countries have loosened, however,
the US embargo still continues to be in
place. It remains to be seen how the
introduction of piecemeal capitalism
will affect the country in the long term.
The Economy
The most important factor in the Cuban
economy is tourism. Since the late 1980s
the island has opened up to foreign
tourists, which has meant that the
traditional flow of citizens from Eastern
Waving Cuban flags at a rally European countries has been replaced by

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