Abstract

The research subject is the political and socioeconomic systems of the present-day Cuban society. The article studies their evolution in the light of institutional changes enshrined in the Constitution that was adopted in 2019. A brief historical digression introduces the issue and provides an overview of the difficult socioeconomic situation in Cuba after the disintegration of the USSR. By comparing the new Constitution of Cuba with its previous version of 1976, the author further examines the key transformations in the social and political spheres and underlines an attempt to implement separation of powers, establishment of the posts of President, governors and mayors, deideologization of the society and shifting from the Marxism-Leninism ideas to the intellectual legacy of José Martí and Fidel Castro. For the first time in historiography, it is hypothesized that the Cubans strived to modify ideology to partially adaptit to the concept of the diversity (diversidad) of left forces. The study emphasizes that the Communist party remains a cornerstone of the country’s life and it is proclaimed the one and only party in Cuba in the new Constitution. The article also focuses on the changes in political leadership, the persona of the new President Miguel Díaz-Canel, his road to power and his vision of Cuban transformations. The author shows that the generation change and recruiting young politicians for the government are a progressive process under the control of the “historic generation” of the 1953-1959 revolutionaries. She also sheds light on the impact of the Armed Forces on the government and their links with state enterprises. The final part analyzes the foreign policy factor, the dynamics of Cuba’s relations with such key players in the international arena as China and Russia, and the problems in relations with the US, as well as Cuba’s position in Latin America in the context of current regional socio-economic and political processes.