ABSTRACT
Contrary to the popular perception that Cuba's political system remained unchanged in the midst of global transformation, the mid-1980s brought significant changes in state-society relations on the island. This chapter argues that the human rights groups in Cuba, albeit small and fragmented, have been a pivotal force in the political development of the island. They constitute an emerging social movement that is a vital part of an embryonic civil society. In tracing the interaction between the state and the human rights groups, the chapter presents a brief sketch of the legal context in which the issue is being contested. It analyzes the state's response to the movement and the contribution of the human rights groups to political change, and possibly democratization, on the island. The most likely scenario is that a future Cuban state will find it easier to meet the demand for civil rights than to satisfy an agenda of economic rights.
