Responding to crisis: The Cuban leadership copes with mass protests, 2020–2022

How did the Cuban government and Communist Party respond to mass protests in 2020–2022? This article explores the official tools used to respond to such protests. Contrary to common perceptions, the government and the party did not merely repress their opponents. Instead, they combined repression wi...

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Main Author: Jorge I. Domínguez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pluto Journals 2024-11-01
Series:International Journal of Cuban Studies
Online Access:https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/intejcubastud.16.2.224
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author Jorge I. Domínguez
author_facet Jorge I. Domínguez
author_sort Jorge I. Domínguez
collection DOAJ
description How did the Cuban government and Communist Party respond to mass protests in 2020–2022? This article explores the official tools used to respond to such protests. Contrary to common perceptions, the government and the party did not merely repress their opponents. Instead, they combined repression with some economic, social, and political changes. Mass protests in Cuba 2020–2022 challenged the political order the most in 40 years. Repression, ‘socialist legality’, emigration, elements of political accountability, and selective political liberalisation targeting appeals to churches, LGBTQI+, and Afro-descendant groups were within the toolkit. There was also some liberalisation within the National Assembly and the Supreme Court as well as selective democratisation, submitting the draft Family Code to public discussion and referendum, permitting opposition. The enactment of limited market reforms, which had been first authorised ten years earlier, also accelerated.
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spelling doaj-art-3693fc3c089442b48ec0b3c4d694f3582024-12-20T17:00:10ZengPluto JournalsInternational Journal of Cuban Studies1756-34611756-347X2024-11-0116222424610.13169/intejcubastud.16.2.224Responding to crisis: The Cuban leadership copes with mass protests, 2020–2022Jorge I. DomínguezHow did the Cuban government and Communist Party respond to mass protests in 2020–2022? This article explores the official tools used to respond to such protests. Contrary to common perceptions, the government and the party did not merely repress their opponents. Instead, they combined repression with some economic, social, and political changes. Mass protests in Cuba 2020–2022 challenged the political order the most in 40 years. Repression, ‘socialist legality’, emigration, elements of political accountability, and selective political liberalisation targeting appeals to churches, LGBTQI+, and Afro-descendant groups were within the toolkit. There was also some liberalisation within the National Assembly and the Supreme Court as well as selective democratisation, submitting the draft Family Code to public discussion and referendum, permitting opposition. The enactment of limited market reforms, which had been first authorised ten years earlier, also accelerated.https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/intejcubastud.16.2.224
spellingShingle Jorge I. Domínguez
Responding to crisis: The Cuban leadership copes with mass protests, 2020–2022
International Journal of Cuban Studies
title Responding to crisis: The Cuban leadership copes with mass protests, 2020–2022
title_full Responding to crisis: The Cuban leadership copes with mass protests, 2020–2022
title_fullStr Responding to crisis: The Cuban leadership copes with mass protests, 2020–2022
title_full_unstemmed Responding to crisis: The Cuban leadership copes with mass protests, 2020–2022
title_short Responding to crisis: The Cuban leadership copes with mass protests, 2020–2022
title_sort responding to crisis the cuban leadership copes with mass protests 2020 2022
url https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/intejcubastud.16.2.224
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