The referendum on gay marriage, same-sex adoption and surrogacy, among other topics, began this Sunday (24) in Cuba in the
one thousand qualified electoral colleges.
The first referendum on a specific law held in Cuba since the revolution of 1959 started at 7:00 am (local time, 8:00 am Brasília time) and will end at 18h (17h Brasília time), according to the calendar presented by the electoral authorities.
The final result will be announced five days later, it will be binding and will require a simple majority: more than 50%, in favor or against. The National Electoral Commission (CNE) is expected to release preliminary results on Monday (26).
Before being approved in July this year by the National Assembly ( unicameral parliament), the version 25 of the law was widely consulted between February and April in 79 thousand meetings by neighborhoods and municipalities.
This is the only project that will go to referendum between the 70 legal norms updated with the new Constitution, unlike other laws such as the Penal Code. In addition, it has been published in the Official Gazette since 22 in July of this year.
Although the issues considered most controversial are the recognition of marriage between people same-sex couples or the possibility of adoption by same-sex couples, the vast legislative package also regulates parental responsibility and the so-called joint pregnancy.
The proposed Family Code mentions gender-based violence, prohibits child marriage and protects communication between grandparents and grandchildren in the event of divorce.
It covers other changes in the family context, such as preventing domestic aggressors from asking for custody of the children, the distribution of assets and incorporation of stepmothers and stepfathers as tutors.
The Cuban dictatorship and the entire state apparatus carried out an intense campaign in favor of the “yes” vote in the official media and social networks.
There was no articulated campaign against the text, although opponents, activists and some institutions defended it. mainly in the networks by abstention or by “no”.
