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Encyclopedia > Communist Party of Cuba
Communist Party of Cuba
Partido Comunista de Cuba
Leader Fidel Castro
Founded July, 1961
Official newspaper Granma
Youth wing Young Communist League
Membership (1997) 780,000
Official ideology/
political position
Marxism-Leninism
International affiliation Sao Paulo Forum
Website pcc.cu
See Politics of Cuba for more information.

The Communist Party of Cuba (Spanish: Partido Comunista de Cuba, PCC) is currently the only officially recognized political party in Cuba. It operates on a Marxist-Leninist model. The present Cuban constitution ascribes the role of the Party to be the "leading force of society and of the state". The first secretary of the Communist Party, Fidel Castro, is concurrently President of the Council of State (President of Cuba) and President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister of Cuba). Communist Party of Cuba logo This work is copyrighted. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Granma is the name of the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party. ... Logo of the UJC, showing Julio Antonio Mella, Camilo Cienfuegos and Che Guevara Founded in 1962, the Young Communist League (in Spanish: Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas, UJC) is Cubas political youth organisation. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... Foro de São Paulo (FSP, São Paulo Forum) is a congress of left-wing political parties, idealized by President Fidel Castro of Cuba and Luis Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil located in Latin America. ... Politics of Cuba take place within a framework of a socialist republic. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... The Council of State is a thirty-one member body of the Republic of Cuba elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power. ... The President of Cuba is the Head of State of Cuba. ... The Council of Ministers is the cabinet of the Republic of Cuba. ... Flag of the Prime Minister Prime Minister of Cuba is a term given to the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba. ...

Contents

History

A Communist billboard in Havana
A Communist billboard in Havana

Cuba had a number of communist and anarchist parties since the early period of the Republic. The original "internationalized" Communist Party of Cuba was formed in the 1920s. Founders included Blas Roca, Anibal Escalante, Fabio Grobart and Julio Antonio Mella. A member of the Comintern, it was later renamed the People's Socialist Party for electoral reasons. It supported Fulgencio Batista, in whose government it had Ministers Without Portfolio. The People's Socialist Party was initially critical of Fidel Castro. Following the Cuban revolution which propelled Fidel Castro to power on January 1, 1959, Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev asked his advisors to consult Cuban Communists about Castro's background and motives. The Communists reported that Castro was a representative of the "haute bourgeoisie" and probably working for the CIA.[1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x856, 320 KB) Headline text Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x856, 320 KB) Headline text Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... This article is about the capital of Cuba. ... The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Julio Antonio Mella (25 March 1903 - 10 January 1929) was a founder of the internationalized Cuban Communist Party [1]. Mella studied law in the University of Havana until he was expelled in 1925 [2] and is considered at hero by the present Cuban Government e. ... The Comintern (Russian: Коммунистический Интернационал, Kommunisticheskiy Internatsional – Communist International, also known as the Third International) was an international Communist organization founded in March 1919, in the midst of the war communism period (1918-1921), by Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik), which intended to fight by all available means, including... General Rubén Fulgencio Batista (IPA: , ) y Zaldívar (January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician. ... A Minister without Portfolio is a government minister with no specific responsibilities. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... The Cuban Revolution refers to the revolution that led to the overthrow of General Fulgencio Batistas regime on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement and other revolutionary elements in the country. ... Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: , Nikita Sergeevič Chruščiov; IPA: , in English, , or , occasionally ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov[1]; April 17 [O.S. April 5] 1894[2]–September 11, 1971) was the chief director of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ...


Despite this, Soviet cooperation with Cuba increased. Accordingly, the role of the Communists in Cuban political life was similarly bolstered. In July 1961, two years after the 1959 Revolution, the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations (ORI) was formed by the merger of Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, the People's Socialist Party led by Blas Roca and the Revolutionary Directory March 13th led by Faure Chomón. On March 26, 1962 the ORI became the United Party of the Cuban Socialist Revolution (PURSC) which, in turn, became the Communist Party of Cuba on October 3, 1965. The Communist party remains the only recognised political party in Cuba. Other parties, though not now illegal, are unable to campaign or conduct any activities on the island that could be deemed "Counter-revolutionary". Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 26th of July Movement (Spanish: Movimiento 26 de Julio; M-26-7) was the revolutionary organization planned and led by Fidel Castro that in 1959 overthrew the Fulgencio Batista government in Cuba. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... A counterrevolutionary is anyone who opposes a revolution, particularly those who act after a revolution to try to overturn or reverse it, in full or in part. ...


For the first ten years of its formal existence, the Communist Party was relatively inactive outside of the Politburo. The 100 person Central Committee rarely met and it was ten years after its founding that the first regular Party Congress was held. In 1969, membership of the party was only 55,000 or 0.7% of the population making the CPC the smallest ruling Communist party in the world. In the 1970s, the party's apparatus began to develop. By the time of the first Party Congress in 1975 the party had grown to just over two hundred thousand members, the Central Committee was meeting regularly and provided the organisational apparatus giving the party the leading role in society that ruling Communist parties generally hold. By 1980 the party had grown to over 430,000 members and grew further to 520,000 by 1985. Apparatuses of the party had grown to ensure that its leading cadres were appointed to key government positions. Politburo is short for Political Bureau. ... A Party Congress is a general conference of a political party. ...


The crisis created by the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the Fourth Party Congress in 1991 being one of unprecedented openness and debate as the leadership tried to create a wide public consensus to respond to the "Special Period". Three million people engaged in pre-Congress debate and discussions on issues such as political structure and economic policy. The 1991 Congress redefined the party as "the party of the Cuban nation" rather than the "party of the working class". The prohibition on religious believers joining the party was lifted. As well, José Martí was elevated to the level of Karl Marx and Lenin in the party's ideological pantheon. The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... A decrepit street in Trinidad, Cuba showing signs of the economic decline in Cuba since the collapse of the Soviet Union The Special Period in Peacetime (Spanish: Período especial en tiempo de paz ) in Cuba was an extended period of economic crisis that began in 1991 after the collapse... José Julián Martí y Pérez was a leader of the Cuban independence movement from Spain and as well a renowned poet and writer. ... Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883) was a 19th century philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary. ... Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин  listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) ( April 22 (April 10 ( O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a...


Much of the debate resulted from an internal struggle between advocates of a Cuban perestroika, i.e. the use of market mechanisms and the liberalization of strictures on free speech and dissent and others who argued that speedy reforms would undercut the unity of the nation and the party's political dominance and possibly lead to the government's collapse as had happened to Communist states in Eastern Europe. The outcome was political reforms which fell far short of reform demands to permit candidates to campaign for office on competing programs. Economically, however, some modest market reforms were introduced, particularly in agriculture, in an effort to reverse the country's economic decline after the cessation of aid and trade subsidies from the USSR. Increased tensions between the US and Cuba also gave the conservatives the upper hand in the mid-1990s and the government responded more and more harshly to dissident groups. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about a form of government in which the state operates under the control of a Communist Party. ...


By the time of the Fifth Party Congress in 1997, political liberalization was no longer on the agenda. The economic resolution debated at the conference called for the expansion of tourism in order to bring in more hard currency but did not call for economic reforms while the political resolution opposed any political liberalization and constituted a defence of the one-party system. A single-party state or one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system and form of government where only a single political party dominates the government and no opposition parties are allowed. ...


Structure

The Communist Party of Cuba held its first Party Congress in 1975 and has had additional congresses in 1980, 1986, 1991 and 1997. The leading bodies of the party were the Politburo and the Secretariat until 1991 when the two bodies were merged into an expanded Politburo with over twenty members. There is also a Central Committee which meets between party congresses. At the Fifth Party Congress the size of the Central Committee was reduced to 150 members from the previous membership of 225. Fidel Castro has been the party's First Secretary (or leader) since its inception and Raúl Castro is the party's Second Secretary. A Party Congress is a general conference of a political party. ... Politburo is short for Political Bureau. ... Secretariat may refer to: A racehorse who won the Triple Crown in 1973, see Secretariat (horse) In a Communist Party, a Secretariat is a key body that controls the central administration of the party, and if it is a ruling party, the country. ... Central Committee most commonly refers to the central executive unit of a communist party, whether ruling or non-ruling. ... This article is about the Cuban politician. ...


The party had a membership of over 780,000 when the Fifth Party Congress was held in 1997. 32.1% of the membership are classified as workers while 13.8% are "professionals and technicians," 8.2% teachers and professors and 7.5% are "service workers."


The Communist Party of Cuba has a youth wing, the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas (Union of Young Communists) modelled on the Komsomol that operated in the Soviet Union. It also has a children's group called the Young Pioneers. Logo of the UJC, showing Julio Antonio Mella, Camillo Cienfuegos and Che Guevara Founded in 1962, the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas (UJC, English: Union of Young Communists) is Cubas political youth organisation. ... Komsomol (Комсомол) is a syllabic abbreviation word, from the Russian Kommunisticheski Soyuz Molodiozhi (Коммунистический союз молодёжи), or Communist... Czechoslovak pioneers A pioneer movement is an organization for children operated by a communist party. ...


Ideology

Compared to other ruling Communist parties such as the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Communist Party of China and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the Communist Party of Cuba retains a stricter adherence to the tradition of Marxism-Leninism and the traditional Soviet model. The Communist Party of Vietnam (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam) is the currently ruling, as well as the only legal political party in Vietnam. ... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China, a position guaranteed by the countrys constitution. ... The Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (Laotian: Phak Pasason Pativat Lao) is the Communist Party of Laos. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... “CCCP” redirects here. ...


The Cuban party is more deeply committed to the concept of socialism than other ruling parties and has been more reluctant in engaging in market reforms though it has been forced to accept some capitalist measures in its economy due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resultant loss of economic subsidies. The Communist Party of Cuba has favored supporting communist revolutions abroad and was active in assisting the ELN in Colombia, the FMLN in El Salvador, the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and Maurice Bishop's New Jewel Movement in Grenada in the 1980s.[citation needed] Their most significant international role was in Angola where the Cuban direction of a joint Angolan/Soviet/Cuban force was responsible for clashing with a South African task force supporting UNITA at Cuito Cuanavale. [2] [3] This led to the withdrawal of intervening forces and, in the following peace agreement, the independence of Namibia from South African rule. [4] Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subjfuck grapesect to control by the community[1] for the purposes of increasing social and economic equality and cooperation. ... Ejército de Liberación Nacional (usually abbreviated to ELN), or National Liberation Army, is a revolutionary, Marxist, insurgent guerrilla group that has been operating in several regions of Colombia since 1964. ... Shafik Handal Revolution or Death, We will win! El Salvador in struggle. ... Sandinista! is also the name of a popular music album by The Clash. ... Maurice Bishop Maurice Rupert Bishop (May 29, 1944 – October 19, 1983) was a Grenadian revolutionary leader. ... The New Jewel Movement was a populist, Marxist-Leninist political movement in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...


It has largely been forced to retreat from this policy due to a lack of funds resulting from the halt of military aid from the Soviet Union. However, the party maintains a policy of sending thousands of Cuban doctors, agricultural technicians, and other professionals to other countries throughout the developing world. More recently the party has sought to support left wing leaders such as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, and Evo Morales in Bolivia. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (IPA: ) (born July 28, 1954) is the current President of Venezuela. ... Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro), popularly known as Evo (IPA: ), is the President of Bolivia, and has been declared the countrys first indigenous head of state since the Spanish Conquest over 470 years ago. ...


See also

Cuba Portal

Image File history File links Flag_of_Cuba. ... There are, at present, a number of communist parties active in various countries across the world, and a number who used to be active. ... Political parties Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      This is a list of political parties around the world in the form of a table including links to the lists of political parties in the countries and entities listed in the list of countries, showing which party system... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... This article is about a form of government in which the state operates under the control of a Communist Party. ...

External links

  • (Spanish) Official web site
  • Leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba
  • (Russian)Short History of PCC

  Results from FactBites:
 
Communist party - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1624 words)
The Communist Party of the United States was considered within the political mainstream during the 1930s and 1940s, but was declared illegal for a time at the advent of the Cold War.
Cuba survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, and with careful market-oriented reforms and strategic alliances, known as the "Special Period," the Communist Party of Cuba remains in power as of 2006.
The doctrine of ruling communist parties was typically that all property would belong to the state as the transition to a communist society (see socialism and state capitalism), and that the state would highly regulate all commerce in the country in the meantime.
Communist Party of Cuba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1307 words)
The first secretary of the Communist Party, Fidel Castro, is concurrently President of the Council of State (President of Cuba) and President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister of Cuba).
The Cuban party is more deeply committed to the concept of socialism than other ruling parties and has been more reluctant in engaging in market reforms though it has been forced to accept some capitalist measures in its economy due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resultant loss of economic subsidies.
The Communist Party of Cuba has favored supporting communist revolutions abroad and was active in assisting the ELN in Colombia, the FMLN in El Salvador, the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and Maurice Bishop's New Jewel Movement in Grenada in the 1980s.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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