Cubans back new constitution affirming role of socialism

Some 6.8 million people, or more than 86 percent of voters, supported the changes in Sunday's referendum, while only 766,400, or nine percent, voted against.

A total of 7.8 million people took part in the vote, with just over four percent of ballots blank or invalid.

"The constitution has been ratified by the majority of citizens," electoral commission president Alina Balseiro said in a press conference.

The constitutional reforms ratify socialism's "irrevocable" role as the national ideology and replaces the 1976 constitution, a move criticized by the Catholic and Evangelical churches.

It does, however, recognize a limited role for the free market and private investment, but only under Communist Party control.

Cuba's outlawed opposition had campaigned hard on social media for a no vote.

Normally, it pushes for abstention but this was a rare opportunity to vote no to the one-party communist regime.

The yes campaign benefited from omnipresence in the media, which is controlled by the state, and public spaces.

Before becoming official, the reforms must be proclaimed by the National Assembly, probably during a session in April, and then published by the Official Gazette.