Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Sunday that he backs same-sex marriage.
In his first interview since taking office in April, Díaz-Canel told TV Telesur that he supports “marriage between people without any restrictions,” according to the BBC.
Díaz-Canel added that he is in favor of “eliminating any type of discrimination in society.”
The comment comes as Cuba continues to work on an updated constitution, the BBC noted, which is expected to be voted on in a national referendum in February.
The current charter, which has been in place since 1976, defines marriage as between one man and one woman, it added.
{mosads}Cuban attitudes toward LGBTQ people have evolved in recent decades, after years of persecution following the Cuban revolution, according to the network, which added that one of the top figures pushing for gay rights in the country is Mariela Castro, the daughter of Raul Castro and niece of Fidel Castro.
Díaz-Canel took over as president for Raul Castro, the current leader of the Communist Party.
Mariela Castro, head of the Cuban National Centre for Sex Education, has led the charge to change the government’s stance on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
She has called for same-sex marriage to be included in the constitutional reform process, and has also urged tougher punishment for violence against LGBTQ people.