Opening paths to renewed popular participation

Abstract

Recent events and initiatives advance the dynamic of collective participation in decision making in Cuba. The necessity of such advancement has been voiced in many sectors in Cuba for more than a decade. Over time, the multiple spaces created for broad-based participation in the 1960s turned into formalisms under the weight of centralization and hierarchical decision-making structures. Since the 1990s, programs have emerged in diverse sectors to facilitate and cultivate experiences of collective participation, and initiatives by the government, the party, the press, and organizations have stimulated activities in that direction. Given the multiple spaces that exist for broad public participation in Cuba, these programs have the potential for the development of an expansive culture of debate. © 2009 Latin American Perspectives.