{"id":211491,"date":"2019-12-31T08:33:23","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T13:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=211491"},"modified":"2019-12-31T08:33:23","modified_gmt":"2019-12-31T13:33:23","slug":"cuba-in-2019-carta-magna-tornado-king-temporary-situations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/cuba-in-2019-carta-magna-tornado-king-temporary-situations\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuba in 2019: Carta Magna, tornado, king, temporary situations…"},"content":{"rendered":"

2019 has not been an easy year for Cuba. It began right at the beginning with a <\/span>devastating tornado<\/span><\/a> in January and continued with a blow to tourism with the end of cruises and other travel restrictions imposed by the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n

The economic difficulties forced the Executive of <\/span>Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel<\/span><\/a> to decree an alarming \u201ctemporary energy situation\u201d in September, and to juggle all year round with measures such as the opening of stores selling in dollars. Meanwhile, the crisis in Ecuador and Bolivia put an end to the island\u2019s health cooperation in those nations and brought to a close the income it generated.<\/span><\/p>\n

The proclamation of the <\/span>new Magna Carta<\/span><\/a>, the celebration of Havana\u2019s half millennium, the visit of the king and queen of Spain and the increase in activism beyond the government, also marked the news agenda in the year that ends. We are focusing on these and other issues in a tight top ten list of what happened in Cuba in the last 12 months.<\/span><\/p>\n

1-Constitution proclaimed, D\u00edaz-Canel ratified<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone knew it, but in short it was news. After a popular consultation and the approval of the final draft by the National Assembly in 2018, the new Constitution was <\/span>ratified in the referendum<\/span><\/a> of last February 24 with the support of 86.85% of the votes, and then <\/span>proclaimed<\/span><\/a> on April 10 by the island\u2019s parliament.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following a pre-established route, the National Assembly approved in July the new Electoral Law\u2015which maintains the process of direct election of the deputies and the indirect election of the President, the Council of State and the majority of government posts\u2015, and in October it ratified D\u00edaz-Canel at the head of the Executive. The circle closed on December 21 with the\u2015for many surprising\u2015designation of the hitherto minister of tourism, <\/span>Manuel Marrero, as Prime Minister<\/span><\/a>, a position recovered by the current Magna Carta.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cuba en referendo<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n