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Who runs local government in Cuba?

Cuba's local government is built around 168 Municipal Assemblies of People's Power, whose delegates are directly elected by secret ballot for five-year terms, one per electoral district. The 2019 Constitution names the Communist Party of Cuba 'the superior driving force of the society and the State', but the party does not formally nominate candidates for municipal seats. Since 2019, each of the 15 provinces has a governor elected by municipal delegates on the president's proposal instead of an elected provincial assembly.

Republic of Cuba · Unitary socialist republic (one-party state) · Caribbean

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
Provinces (15)	Governor and deputy governor elected by the province's municipal delegates on the proposal of the President of the Republic, for five years	Coordinates between central government and municipalities; may not take over municipal powers.
Municipalities (168, including the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud)	Municipal Assembly delegates elected directly for five years; the assembly elects its president and vice-president and appoints a Council of Administration headed by a mayor (intendente)	The 'superior organ of the State' locally: local services, budget, approving local plans.
People's Councils (consejos populares)	Made up of the delegates elected in the area	Monitor local services and businesses, deal with residents' problems; not a separate level of government.

Three questions about local power in Cuba

Are local leaders elected?

Municipal delegates are directly elected by secret ballot (12,422 elected in 2022). Provincial governors are elected indirectly by municipal delegates on the president's proposal. Mayors (intendentes) are appointed by the municipal assembly. CDR leaders are chosen within the organisation.

Which laws set up local government?

Municipal assemblies, people's councils, governors and the leading role of the Communist Party are all in the 2019 Constitution. CDRs are legally recognised mass organisations, not part of the state. Religious influence is informal.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

Delegates' mandates can be revoked at any time (Article 196) and they must report to voters. Higher state organs can revoke municipal decisions, and the National Assembly can extend municipal terms. The Communist Party sets the overall political direction.

Traditional and customary authority

There is no customary or traditional authority with legal powers. Religious bodies, including the Catholic Church and Afro-Cuban religions such as Santería, are recognised under freedom of religion and have social influence, but no role in governing.

Community and neighbourhood power

The Constitution (Article 14) recognises 'social and mass organizations' that bring together sectors of the population. The largest at neighbourhood level are the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDRs), founded in 1960, with a committee on most blocks. CDRs organise neighbourhood activities such as vigilance, blood drives and vaccination campaigns, and help with electoral lists and meetings. They are mass organisations, not state organs, and members are volunteers. The Federation of Cuban Women and other mass organisations play similar roles. Neighbourhood meetings also nominate candidates for municipal elections by open vote, and delegates must report back to their voters at regular accountability meetings.

Points to know

Before 2019 there were elected provincial assemblies; the new Constitution replaced them with governors and provincial councils.
Municipal delegates keep their normal jobs; the post is mostly unpaid.
In the 2022 municipal elections 68.56% of registered voters took part, according to Cuba's report to the UN; 44% of delegates elected were women.
The 2019 Constitution describes municipal 'autonomy' for the first time, including choosing authorities and deciding how to use resources.

Local terms

Poder Popular: 'People's Power': the name for Cuba's system of elected assemblies, from municipal to national level.
CDR: Committee for the Defence of the Revolution: a neighbourhood mass organisation founded in 1960.
Consejo popular: People's Council: a group of municipal delegates covering a neighbourhood or village who follow up local problems.
Intendente: The mayor who heads a municipality's Council of Administration, appointed by the Municipal Assembly.

Sources

Cuba's Constitution of 2019, Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
National report submitted by Cuba to the Universal Periodic Review (A/HRC/WG.6/44/CUB/1, Sept 2023), United Nations Human Rights Council, checked 14 October 2026