End of an era in Cuba: Raul Castro is gone forever

It was already expected that Castro would announce his resignation at these days’ party congress. According to the 89-year-old Castro, it is time to transfer power to the younger generation. He indicated during his speech that he was ready until his death “to defend the homeland, revolution and socialism.”

Formal power

It is likely that 60-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel will take charge of it. Diaz-Canel also took office as president in 2018. Castro had not been president of Cuba since 2018, but he had formal power.

With Raul’s resignation as party leader, Castro was not officially in power in Cuba for the first time since 1959. Sixty years later, there will be other rulers, but according to Latin American journalist Edwin Copman, not much will change politically.

The Communist Party is the only political party permitted in Cuba and has all power. The goal of the new regime is to remain in power. ” Copman said earlier RTL News.

No freedom of expression

In Cuba, due to the Castro brothers’ decades-old regime, there is no freedom of speech. There is no free press and therefore only one political party is permitted, and for example, free trade is not permitted on the (international) market.

At least in the short term, he says, it will remain that way: “The regime has no interest in changing these things, it is about staying strong.”