In recent years, protests in Cuba have increased due to poverty, lack of medicines, energy cuts and high inflation. The government has responded by threatening the death penalty for those participating in demonstrations. Government officials have emphasized the crime of sedition, which includes penalties up to death, as a way to maintain order and social justice in the country.
The threats from military and Cuban justice system representatives came after large peaceful protests in March where around 38 people were detained. The government claims these protests are encouraged by terrorists in the United States and aim to undermine the authority and generate violence to discredit the government. This led to arrests and convictions, with the regime labeling the protests as seditious acts.
The death penalty was abolished in Cuba with the 1940 Constitution but was reinstated after the 1959 revolution, leading to thousands of executions. The death penalty remains valid in the new Penal Code, which also increases crimes subject to maximum punishment and life imprisonment, limiting freedom of expression and assembly. International organizations have condemned these laws, stating that they further stifle dissent in Cuba.
Human rights organizations and activists have raised concerns about the use of the death penalty and severe punishments in the new Penal Code. The regime defends the death penalty as a means of protecting society and