Cuban Official Draws Controversy by Equating Cuban Elections to Those in the UK

Once again, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has stirred up controversy by claiming that Cuban leaders are chosen in a manner akin to those in established democracies like the United Kingdom or Canada. During an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan from Zeteo at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Fernández de Cossío attempted to justify the absence of direct presidential elections in Cuba with an argument that borders on the absurd: "Just like in the British, Canadian, or Australian governments, people do not directly elect the head of government but vote for parliament members, and it is the parliament that appoints the country's political leader."

However, Hasan quickly pointed out that in these parliamentary systems, citizens have the option to choose from parties with diverse ideologies, a feature absent in Cuba. The journalist reminded that in Cuba, there is only one legal party, the Communist Party, and candidates aspiring to the National Assembly are pre-screened by nomination committees. In essence, there is no competition, no alternatives, and no genuine freedom of choice.

Fernández de Cossío persisted in drawing parallels with the UK, sidestepping the fact that in the United Kingdom, voters can choose between Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens, or Scottish Nationalists, whereas in Cuba, citizens are faced with a single ballot of candidates "approved" by the state apparatus.

Highlighting the Stark Reality in Cuba

The irony of the analogy becomes even more glaring when examining the island's internal landscape. While the deputy foreign minister spoke of elections comparable to those in London, Cuba concluded August 2025 with 1,185 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, according to the latest report from Prisoners Defenders. Among them are minors, women, and hundreds of citizens imprisoned merely for peacefully protesting.

Despite this, Fernández de Cossío denied in the same interview that there are any imprisoned protesters in Cuba, dismissing reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Such statements starkly contradict documented accusations of repression, torture, and arbitrary sentences.

An Interview Filled with Controversial Statements

The deputy foreign minister had already made headlines recently for other contentious remarks in his conversation with Hasan. Initially, he dismissed the notion that Cuba would go to war with the United States if attacked over Venezuela, although he assured "full political support" for Nicolás Maduro. Later, he outright denied the existence of political prisoners on the island, despite evidence from international organizations.

Now, with his peculiar comparison of Cuban elections to British ones, Fernández de Cossío adds another chapter to the official narrative attempting to equate a one-party system without political freedoms to democracies where citizens truly have choices. The difference is so apparent it hardly needs further explanation: in London, Ottawa, or Canberra, voters can select from multiple parties and hold governments accountable at the polls. In Havana, Cubans remain trapped in a system where the only choice is between the approved candidate or silence.