esident of the Council of
State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz
(Prime Minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office
was abolished; President since 2 December 1976); First Vice President
of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of
Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; proposed by the president of the
Council of State, appointed by the National Assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly of People's Power: (Asamblea Nacional del Poder
Popular) elections last held February 1993 (next to be held NA); seats
- 589 total, elected directly 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, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS,
ILO, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), 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, Cuban Interests Section, Swiss
Embassy, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 797-8609, 8610, 8615

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Principal Officer Joseph G. SULLIVAN
US Interests Section: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada Entre L Y M,
Vedado Seccion, Havana
mailing address: use street address
telephone: 33-3551 through 3559, 33-3543 through 3547, 33-3700
(operator assistance required)
FAX: Telex 512206
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 severely depressed as
the result of its own inefficiencies and the loss of massive amounts
of economic aid from the former Soviet Bloc. Total output in 1994 was
only about half the output of 1989. The fall in output and