1717 Cuban Freemasons in the
Development of Civil
Society and of a Political
Opening
Jorge Luis Romeu^1
Abstract: Cuban Freemasons have been largely ignored by researchers of Cuban civil
society, in spite of such institution being one of the oldest, largest, most widely spread
throughout the country, and most democratically organized. Its characteristics, includ-
ing its tolerance and open-minded philosophy, can positively contribute to strengthen
civil society, and to start the necessary dialogue that must take place in Cuba, to bring
about an opening. Such defines the importance of studying Cuban Freemasons in
detail. This paper seeks to fill such civil society literature gap. We examine the compo-
sition of Cuban Freemason using data from a demographic analysis undertaken by the
author and a colleague, for the Grand Lodge, in Havana. The most important charac-
teristics of the institution, relevant for developing both civil society and a healthy dia-
logue among Cubans, are discussed. Finally, some ideas to enhance the participation
of Cuban Freemasons in civil society, and their contribution to an opening, are pre-
sented.
Introduction and Background
The idea of writing this paper was born during the previous Bildner
Center symposium on Cuba’s Futures, in 2006. There, several papers
- Research Professor, Syracuse University; Email: [email protected]; Director, Juarez
Lincoln Marti International Education Project; Email: [email protected]; Web:
http://web.cortland.edu/matresearch.