by Adrian Ruhi

History

Since the revolution that put Fidel Castro in power on Jan. 1, 1959, Cuba has been a government-controlled nation and was officially declared a socialist republic in 1961. Human rights in communist Cuba have changed both for the better and the worse. Socialism has many benefits that help equalize the disparity between the rich and the poor, but some basic human freedoms have been denied in Cuba for decades.

Health and school

Health care and education are socialized in Cuba. The Cuban government runs and pays for basic health care for all Cuban citizens, despite some shortcomings. According to the World Health Organization, life expectancy, child mortality and adult mortality in Cuba are comparable to that of the United States, despite the differences in how each country runs its health care system and how much money is spent per capita. The major flaws in the Cuban health care system involve a lack of medical materials and drugs. The Soviet Union, which contributed greatly to the Cuban economy, collapsed, which put a damper on Cuba’s health care. The United States’ embargo on Cuba, which prevents trade and movement of goods, money and people between the two countries, also had a similar effect on the island.

The Cuban government also funds and manages the education system, all the way from primary school to the university level. The equality of education causes Cuba to maintain very high literacy rates that are among the best in Latin America, according to UNESCO. But it is also believed that Cuban schools are often used as propaganda machines to impose communist beliefs on children starting at a very young age.

Private medical practice and education is prohibited in Cuba.

Human rights violations

Despite the fact that the Cuban constitution promises certain rights such as freedom of speech and religion, these rights are only protected when their exercise benefits socialist views.

Freedom of expression is virtually nonexistent because the government owns, controls and runs all forms of media, from the newspapers to the television stations. The few privileged enough to have Internet access are also likely being monitored. Castro’s regime has regularly arrested dissenters of the Cuban government and often imprisoned them without fair trial, according to Amnesty International. Non-government-sponsored groups and meetings are not allowed, and those who have tried to rally support against Castro’s government have often been heckled and abused by government officials and pro-revolution citizens, according to Human Rights Watch.

Due to the socialist nature of Cuba’s government, there are no property rights, and citizens are usually not allowed to travel out of the country, because of the government’s fear of citizens defecting. Freedom of religion was virtually nonexistent since Castro declared the nation atheist. Only recently has religion been allowed to slowly return into Cuban society.