The text analyzes the democraticity of decision-making processes on local level public affairs in Cuba, emphasizing the examination of citizens’ capacities to influence the conditions that sustain decision-making and public debates. The study reveals the mutual dependencies between elements that constitute an autocratic consolidation of politics. I describe and analyze dynamics that provide a peculiar understanding of the relationship between real autocratization and formal democratization at the local level in Cuba, based on the study of a medium-sized city (Cárdenas), the application of qualitative methods (such as the analysis of documents and semi-structured interviews), and the review of previous studies.