Abstract
Fidel Castro developed an idea of democracy as a legitimate alternative to American democracy. At the dawn of the Cuban revolution Castro was careful enough to avoid Marxist concepts in his speeches, but after the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 Castro embraced socialism as the ideology of the revolution. Then the concept of dictatorship of the proletariat became the core of Castro's idea of democracy. In this context, the opposition between democracy and dictatorship disappeared. The dictatorship of the proletariat became working class democracy. Thus, according to Castro, the political participation of Cuban masses in the revolutionary process gave the Cuban project an inescapable democratic character. In 1976 the revolutionary government reinforced the socialist character of the Cuban state through the promulgation of a new constitution. Through this constitution the Cuban state embraced formal elections. Paradoxically, after embracing formal elections in 1976, the revolution lost popular power from below and actually became less democratic.
Highlights
Democracy is a concept constantly present in Fidel Castro’s speeches
In this article I will argue that the meanings of democracy in Cuba, according to the discourse of Fidel Castro, are linked to political participation of Cuban people rather than multiple political parties, free press or periodic presidential elections
In a society where people have equal access to the social realm through mass organisations like the CDR or the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) democracy was possible. He points out that ‘we develop democracy through our methods of election of power and, above all, through the constant critique and self-critique, through the collective leadership and the more wide and constant participation and support of people’ (Castro 2008: 442–3)
Summary
Democracy is a concept constantly present in Fidel Castro’s speeches. Right from the start, the question of democracy in Cuba was a source of tension and comparison between Cuba and the United States. In this article I will argue that the meanings of democracy in Cuba, according to the discourse of Fidel Castro, are linked to political participation of Cuban people rather than multiple political parties, free press or periodic presidential elections.
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