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Nitheesh Narayanan is Editor and a central secretariat member of Student Federation of India (SFI). He is a PhD scholar at the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and a researcher at Tricontinental India Research.

Issue #189 of The Internationalist excerpts from Narayanan's book, If Humanity is A Country: Cuban Days. Here he writes how Cuban democracy is not about US-style corporate-funded elections, but about grassroots participation, universal healthcare, education, and collective responsibility that prioritizes every citizen's well-being over capitalist profit.

Many question whether Cuban socialism embodies democracy. Western media often echoes claims that there is no democracy in Cuba. We can see the same narrative perpetuated by the leaders in the United States of America. In a speech, Raúl Castro recalled a debate on political rights where a US citizen criticised Raúl Castro for having one-party rule in Cuba. Raúl responded by asking if the same situation applied in his country. “No, we have two parties; the Democratic Party and the Republican Party”. “That’s fine. It is like saying there are two parties in Cuba—one led by Fidel and the other led by me,” responded Raúl. How simplistically Raúl exposed the Western capitalist notion of democracy. Even though there are two parties in the US, both essentially represent the interests of the same class. These political entities serve as the leadership of US imperialism, capitalism, arms trade, and exploitation of Third World countries. The history of the United States makes it clear. There is no genuine participation or consideration of the local workers or the common person in their policy-making or decision processes. While speaking to Fernando Gonzalez of the Cuban Five, I asked him about US’s criticism of the absence of democracy in Cuba. He replied:

"I have lived there long enough to realise that the way America organizes its domestic political life has nothing to do with democracy. It is my belief that democracy cannot thrive in a system where millions of dollars are a prerequisite for any position. In the US, if you want to contest for the position of a mayor, you need a lot of money, if you want to run for governor of a state or for the US Congress, you need millions of dollars, if you want to contest for the post of the president, you need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars. So, in essence, there is no democracy there. What sort of democracy exists when you have to pay back those who funded you to stand in election? And, who paid you? These are not one or two dollars from people on the street, but from big corporations. Large commercial companies that pay individuals to be elected. To whom will such elected officials be indebted? What they are going to do is to pay off the debt to those companies through the laws they pass in the congress and city council. I had lived there and witnessed it happening every day. So, let’s not discuss that version of democracy."

There is a democratic model outlined by socialist Cuba. It is not reduced to an electoral system influenced by corporate funding. Instead, it involves the active participation of the people in every aspect of society, restructuring socio-economic life with their interests at the core. We had the chance to experience it firsthand. One of them was our visit to Ucillo in the Marianao municipality. The goal was to see how people’s lives are organised at the grassroot levels in Cuba. In Ucillo, on the city outskirts, around 1800 people reside. This population is a bit more than a typical panchayat ward in Kerala. There is a primary health center (consultario), a school, and a playground for that number of people. A doctor and a nurse are available full-time at the primary health centre for the local residents. People from the same area serve at the Ucillo consultario. This setup mirrors most primary health centres across Cuba. Consequently, these medical professionals possess detailed knowledge about the health conditions of each household within that area, ensuring continuous access to their services. Those who were with us said that while the relatively populated Ucillo area has one doctor and nurse for every 1800 residents, in rural consultarios, the ratio of the health workers to the number of people needing care is considerably lower.

The health centre in Ucillo is a small, neat building. There are special facilities for consultations, in-patient examinations, treatment, and medical storage. A friendly doctor named Ulysi and a nurse named Ralady explained the operation of the clinic. As usual, they displayed remarkable humility and expressed deep conviction regarding their responsibilities. She emphasised their focus on the healthcare needs of the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals dealing with mental health issues. They serve as the family doctor for each neighbourhood, meticulously recording the health status of every household in the area. This enables the early detection and treatment of diseases. Leima Martínez Freire, the former Asia Pacific Head of the Institute of Cuban Friendship with People, highlighted that this method accounts for eighty percent of recoveries in Cuba.

There is a primary school adjacent to the clinic. In the school where 140 students study, there are 19 teachers and 13 staff members. The school offers various amenities such as a computer lab and a playground. Some children were playing chess when we visited them. It is a testament to the vision of a public school system where all children, regardless of background, learn and grow together, enjoying equal facilities and opportunities without any sense of inferiority.

The trip to Jussino region showed how democracy becomes a lived experience for the people. In Cuba democracy is practiced as a responsibility toward every human life, ensuring inclusion for all individuals. A fundamental principle of the Cuban Revolution is the protection of every individual, leaving no one excluded. Leima, while discussing Cuba’s resilience during Covid era, highlighted their commitment to ensuring that no family is left behind by ‘fate’ during challenging times. Teachers and health workers also shoulder these political responsibilities.

Various organisations in Cuba serve as key coordinators for the grassroots of social security activities. The main organiser of such activities is the Centre for Workers of Cuba, a Cuban workers’ organization. They are joined by mass organisations like the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR), the Federation of Cuban Women, and the Young Communist League in these efforts. Remember, how Kerala’s workers, farmers, youth, students, and women’s organisations came together in diverse ways to combat Covid-19? When I heard about the activities in Cuba, I felt the experiences were similar. Their efforts reached every household. Mass voluntary actions do not just stem from personal compassion or love for fellow beings. The absence of such activities in some countries does not imply a lack of compassionate individuals. Instead, these activities underscore the presence of a deeply ingrained democratic society. These mass actions, which the capitalist worlds cannot even dream of, are the results of a well organised society that does not succumb to divisive logics, animosity, and competition.

Now the question of how to define democracy. The first part of Cuba’s governing structure declares country’s commitment; “Cuba will never return to capitalism, which thrives on the exploitation of humans by humans. Only under socialism and communism can individuals reach their full potential.” Fidel publicly stated that he has no alliance with anything that seeks to undermine socialism. Cuba’s socialist leadership was successfully able to convince its people that capitalism, which exploits human and natural resources, disempowers peasants and workers, and prioritizes wealth and status over humanity, lacks democratic values.

The socialist consciousness was not inculcated in the Cuban people through state repression. Socialism cannot be formed by isolating or suppressing individuals. A socialist society can only be formed by elevating people’s consciousness, fostering innovative and progressive thinking, and encouraging their active participation. Cuba has progressed over the past six decades through this process.

Excerpted with permission from If Humanity is a Country: Cuban Days by Nitheesh Narayanan.

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