1993; seats - 589 total, indirectly elected from slates approved by
special candidacy commissions
Judicial branch:
People's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo Popular)
Political parties and leaders:
only party - Cuban Communist Party (PCC), Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first
secretary
Member of:
CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA
(observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since
1962), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Principal Officer Alfonso FRAGA Perez (since August 1992) represented
by the Cuban Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC
chancery:
2630 and 2639 16th Street NW, US Interests Section, Swiss Embassy,
Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 797-8518 or 8519, 8520, 8609, 8610
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Principal Officer Joseph SULLIVAN
US Interests Section:
USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada Entre L y M, Vedado Seccion, Havana
mailing address:
use street address
telephone:
33-3351 or 33-3543
FAX:
no service available at this time
note:
protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland - US Interests Section, Swiss
Embassy
Flag:
five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with
white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a
white five-pointed star in the center

@Cuba, Economy

Overview:
Cuba's heavily statist economy remains in a severe depression as a
result of the loss of massive amounts of economic aid from the former
Soviet Bloc. In 1989-93, GDP declined by about 40% and import
capability fell by about 80%. Reduced imports of fuel, spare parts,
and chemicals combined with rainy weather to cut the production of
sugar - the country's top export - from 7 million tons in 1992 to 4.3
million tons in 1993, causing a loss of more than $400 million in
export revenue. The government implemented several measures designed
to stem the economic decline, e.g., legalizing the use of foreign
currency by Cuban citizens in August 1993 in an attempt to increase
remittances of foreign exchange from abroad. Authorities in September
1993 began permitting self-employment in over 100 mostly service
occupations. Also in September the government broke up many state
farms into smaller, more