MIAMI, United States. – After being approved this Friday by the Cuban Parliament, the Family Code Project will be submitted to a popular referendum on Sunday, September 25, official media on the island reported.
In accordance with Cubadebatethe deputies of the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP) gave the green light this Friday to version 25 of the project, after “a necessary, intense and enriching consultation process”, which included the contribution of legislators, experts, academics and population in general, according to the island’s Minister of Justice, Oscar Silvera Martínez.
6,481,207 Cubans (75.93%) participated in the previous popular consultation, 61.96% of whom expressed themselves in favor of the text, according to Cubadebate. As a result of this process, 47.93% of the general text and 49.15% of the total articles were modified.
However, most of the modifications do not involve substantial changes to the bill, since they are improvements in the wording, reformulation of statements, breakdown into subsections and changes of letters, among others, to achieve greater understanding and comprehension of the text.
Among the changes applied to the project, care is expressly recognized as a right and the protection of children and adolescents in exceptional and disaster situations is extended. Likewise, urgent protection against discrimination and violence is reinforced, and the possibility of filing a complaint is extended to anyone who knows about these facts.
If approved, the new Family Code will replace the current regulations dating from 1976. Although the regime has celebrated that the text incorporates new features on parental responsibility, marriage, adoption, confrontation with gender violence and care for older adults, activists have pointed out that it does not mention or recognize the rights of trans and non-binary people.
Regarding the popular referendum, defined in the eleventh transitory provision of the Constitution, Homero Acosta Álvarez, secretary of the ANPP, reported that it will be held on Sunday, September 25, between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Voting abroad will take place a week before, with the definitions that will be established later by the National Electoral Council, the official specified.
For their part, voters will only have to answer the question “Do you agree with the Family Code?”
“We consider that it is a clear, simple question that facilitates the voter’s response in one way or another, and helps to easily identify the object on which the referendum falls, in this case, the Family Code,” Acosta Alvarez said.
The Code will be considered finally approved if it receives more than 50% of the valid votes deposited in the polls.
The National Electoral Council, in compliance with its constitutional and legal mandate, will be in charge of the organization, direction and supervision of this process, in accordance with the Electoral Law.
They will have the right to vote, as established by the Constitution in electoral processes, all citizens over 16 years of age on the day of the referendum, with the exception of those prevented by the circumstances provided for in the Constitution and the law.
Acosta Álvarez recalled that, until now, Cuba had only submitted the 1976 and 2019 constitutions to a popular referendum.
Precisely in this sense, the Family Code project, which opens the doors to the approval of same-sex marriage in Cuba, has generated numerous criticisms. Activists and citizens in general have denounced that, with this referendum, the right of the people will be subject to popular approval LGBTQ+ to marry, despite the fact that human rights should be guaranteed.
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