Esteban Lazo Hernández, Gladys María Bejerano Portela, José Ramón Machado Ventura Secretary: Homero Acosta Álvarez Council of Ministers Prime Minister: Manuel Marrero First Deputy Prime Minister: Salvador Valdés Mesa Deputy Prime Ministers: Marino Alberto Murillo Jorge, Ulises Rosales del Toro, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, Ricardo Cabrisas Ruíz, Antonio Enrique Lussón Batlle Minister of Interior: Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas Minister of the Armed Forces: Álvaro López Miera National Assembly of People's Power President: Esteban Lazo Hernández Vice President: Jaime Alberto Crombet Hernández-Baquero Secretary: Miriam Brito Sarroca Foreign relations Cuba's foreign policy has been scaled back and redirected as a result of economic hardship after the collapse of the Soviet bloc. Without massive Soviet subsidies and its primary trading partner Cuba was comparatively isolated in the 1990s, but has since entered bilateral co-operation with several South American countries, most notably Venezuela and Bolivia. Cuba has normal diplomatic and economic relations with every country in the Western hemisphere except El Salvador and the United States. El Salvador, under the new government of Mauricio Funes, is expected to institute both in June, 2009. The United States continues an embargo "so long as [Cuba] continues to refuse to move toward democratization and greater respect for human rights." The European Union accuses Cuba of "continuing flagrant violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms", but also "Reiterates its condemnation of the US embargo on Cuba, and calls for it to be lifted forthwith, as the UN General Assembly has repeatedly demanded." Cuba has developed a growing relationship with the People's Republic of China and Russia. In all, Cuba continues to have formal relations with 160 nations, and provided civilian assistance workers – principally medical – in more than 20 nations. More than two million exiles have escaped to foreign countries. Cuba's present foreign minister is Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. Authoritarianism Political scientists characterize the political system of Cuba as non-democratic and authoritarian. It is a single-party authoritarian regime where political opposition is not permitted. There are elections in Cuba but critics challenge whether they are democratic. Censorship of information (including limits to internet access) is extensive, and independent journalism is repressed in Cuba; Reporters Without Borders has characterized Cuba as one of the worst countries in the world for press freedom. Officially, Cuba frames itself as a "people's democracy", as opposed to the "liberal democracy" of Western states. Cuba thus rejects criticism of its political system as a lack