Castro’s Social Policies

Castro’s social policies in 1959 specifically emphasized living standards, healthcare, and housing. He was credited for increasing literacy rates 60% to 80%. Castro claimed to work towards equal access to education, equal pay for women, and equal access to health care. However, in 2000-2008, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) recognized that Cuba violated basic rights and denied the rights of “free expression, association, assembly, privacy, movement, and due process of law.”