Cuba to hold landmark 'Family Code' referendum later this year

Cuba has announced it will hold a momentous 'Family Code' referendum which is to include same-sex marriage and parental rights.

The Cuban national assembly announced it had voted to hold a referendum on the constitution's 'Family Code' later this year following a lengthy round of public consultations conducted between February and April.

The referendum is scheduled for September 25.

The lengthy Cuban national assembly consultations revealed that approximately 62% of Cuban citizens are in favour of an update to the constitution to provide for more inclusive legislation.

Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of Cuba, tweeted the news of the assembly’s vote, saying: "The deputies have just approved the #CódigoDeLasFamilias."

The President displayed his support for a yes vote, adding: "They do well to call it ‘Code of affections’ because it has developed something really new: affection as a legal value."

Los diputados acabamos de aprobar el #CódigoDeLasFamilias. El Referendo será el domingo 25 de septiembre. Hacen bien en llamarlo "Código de los afectos", porque ha desarrollado algo realmente novedoso: el afecto como valor jurídico. #VotemosSí. pic.twitter.com/91VAc029vh

— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) July 22, 2022

Cuban Justice Minister, Oscar Silvera Martínez, referred to the assembly's vote on Friday (July 22) as "a historic day", adding: "It is the result of a lot of work and, especially, the contribution of our people.

"Now in a referendum let’s vote YES for an inclusive and protective Code."

Despite strong political support and positive results from the public consultation process, this referendum still faces serious opposition from religious groups, who successfully overturned similar proposed legislation in 2019.

According to a report in the Gay Times, despite the clear public favour for a referendum, Catholic bishops insisted that "the majority of Cubans wanted the definition of marriage to be maintained as the union of a man and a woman, as it appears in the current Family Code of 1975."

In addition to rights for same-sex couples and their families, the proposed changes to legislation would improve protections for children, as well as furthering rights for women in the country.

The passing of this referendum on September 25 would see Cuba become only the eighth country in South America to legalise same-sex marriage, joining Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica.