Depending on where you live, you may be considered to be an adult in the eyes of the law, or you may be seen as a child.
Ordinarily, the following laws are typically implemented to define an adult:
The Age of Consent (sexual relations)
The legal age to get married
The legal age to drink/purchase alcohol
The legal age to smoke/purchase tobacco
The legal age to vote
The legal age to join the military
The legal ages for each of these laws will be discussed in this article, as we determine what they are in Cuba.
So, let’s get started. Here is the ultimate guide to the legal adult age of Cuba.
The Age Of Consent In Cuba
The legal minimum age at which a person can give their assent to engaging in sexual conduct is known as the age of consent.
In Cuba, 16 years of age is considered to be the legal Age of Consent.
Cuban law prohibits those under the age of 15 from giving their consent to sexual conduct, and those who do so risk being charged with statutory rape or another related crime.
In the U. S., statutes known as ‘Romeo and Juliet laws’ that protect people who engage in consenting sexual behavior while they are both relatively near in age to one another from conviction are known as ‘close in age exemptions’.
If one or both partners are under the legal age of consent, but they are only a year or so younger than the older participant, this rule applies.
However, in Cuba, there are no ‘close in age exemptions’.
If a 16-year-old were to have sexual relations with a 15-year-old, they would be at risk of prosecution.
When someone engages in consensual sexual activity with a child under the age of 16, they are in violation of the country’s statutory rape statute.
The Legal Age To Get Married In Cuba
In accordance with Article 3 of the Cuban Family Code, girls may get married as young as 14 years old, whereas boys must be, at least, 16 years old.
When they are over 18, both Cuban men and women have the legal right to make their marriage formal.
Therefore, people who are under the age of 18 cannot legally consummate their marriage without the approval of their parents or legal guardians.
Despite what was previously said, there are rare occasions where people under the age of 18 can legally get married as long as the male and female are both at least 14 years old and the female is at least 16 years old.
The Legal Age To Drink/Purchase Alcohol In Cuba
Although the de jure buying age for both alcohol in Cuba is 18, the legal drinking age is 16 years old.
Cuba’s legal code forbids adults from regularly encouraging children under the age of 16 to drink alcoholic beverages.
However, this implies that anyone providing, selling, or serving alcohol should de facto confirm that the customer is at least 16 years old.
However, this law is typically not properly enforced.
Cuban store owners and bartenders almost infrequently request identification to verify a person’s age.
Because of this, even though the legal drinking age is 16, a person under this age could certainly get away with buying their own alcohol with little to no repercussions.
The Legal Age To Smoke/Purchase Cigarettes In Cuba
Stores are typically permitted to sell tobacco to those who appear to be 13 or older, even if minors (those under the age of 16) are not legally allowed to purchase it.
A Gallup survey conducted in May 2007 found that 45 percent of Cubans had smoked the day before the survey, demonstrating the prevalence of smoking in the country.
The regulations prohibiting minors from smoking tobacco are not extensively enforced, similar to the laws prohibiting minors from drinking alcohol.
Thus, a person under the age of 16 would probably be allowed to smoke without facing any penalties.
The Legal Age To Vote In Cuba
The minimum age to vote in Cuba is 16 years old.
Cubans over the age of 16 has the right to vote, except those who are mentally disabled and have had their status determined by a court, or have committed a crime and as a result have lost their right to vote.
This is stated in Article 132 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba, 1992.
Additionally, Article 133 stipulates that all Cuban citizens—men and women—with full political rights are eligible to vote.
Furthermore, candidates must be older than 18 if the election is for representatives to the National Assembly of People’s Power.
The Legal Age To Join The Military In Cuba
Every male in Cuba must enlist in the military at the age of 17 by law.
Men in Cuba who are 18 years old or older are required to serve in the military for 24 months, or 12 months if they are already attending college.
However, women can choose not to serve in the military.
Females must also be at least 17 years old to legally serve in the military.
Final Thoughts
Overall, in Cuba, a person is considered to be a minor if they are 15 years old or younger.
A Cuban is considered an adult in the eyes of the law once they turn 16 years old.
A 16-year-old Cuban has the legal right to vote, consume alcohol, smoke tobacco, and have sexual relations.
However, they must be 17 years old to join the military, and, in the case of males, are legally obligated to enlist. If they so decide, females can volunteer to join.
A woman can get married as early as 14 when it comes to nuptials.
She would, however, require authorization from a parent or legal guardian, among other things.
The age of consent in Cuba is 16, although if a person marries beforehand, the age may be lowered.
Furthermore, there are no ‘close in age exemptions’ in Cuba; thus if a 16-year-old engaged in sexual contact outside of marriage with a younger person, they would be subject to prosecution.
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