As Cubans lined up to cast their ballots over what is arguably the most significant reform seen by the country in half a century, US officials insisted on dismissing the vote.

“Today, through its forced constitutional referendum, the Communist Party renewed the legal pretext to deny the people of Cuba the change they desire,” Kimberly Breier, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, tweeted.

In a densely populated Central Havana neighborhood adjacent to the famed Malecon, Rodolfo Abram begged to differ.

“Voting isn’t mandatory, whoever wants to vote, comes of their own volition and votes,” said the 57-year-old self-employed worker. “Everyone here votes, for the yes side, for the revolution.”

Across the island, people went to the polls en masse to vote on a package of changes to the 1976 Constitution, with an overwhelming majority voting to support the new constitution.

Speaking to journalists at the International Press Center the day after the vote, Alina Balseiro Gutierrez, president of the National Electoral Commission, confirmed that voter turnout had exceeded 84 percent.

The ‘yes’ campaign obtained 90.6 percent, or roughly 6.8 million votes, compared to just over 700,000 who rejected the proposal.