Participation and Decision Making in Local Spaces in Cuba

Abstract

Popular participation is one of the foundational principles of Cuba's political and social project, and the system of Popular Power—an intricate network of decision-making bodies at various levels—is its richest expression. A case study of the system as it operates in one municipality in Havana from the perspective of communication studies reveals its democratic-participatory possibilities. At the same time, it points to organizational, structural, and even subjective elements that threaten its practical implementation. These problems have not escaped the attention of the National Assembly of Popular Power, which has produced a detailed list of steps to be taken to improve the articulation of the system's various institutional components. A more participatory Popular Power, with increasingly horizontal and inclusive practices, would play a crucial role in a genuine project of social self-government.