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Raul Castro Becomes Cuba's Leader

Discussion in 'Alley of Lingering Sighs' started by Taluntain, Feb 24, 2008.

  1. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    HAVANA (AFP) - In a historic milestone, Raul Castro succeeded his brother Fidel Castro as the president of Cuba Sunday in a power shift expected to keep Havana firmly on its communist path, officials said.

    Fidel Castro, 81, who announced on Tuesday he was stepping aside after ruling for almost 50 years, was not present as the national assembly held its landmark session to select a new leader.

    But the last of the Cold War leaders voted for his successor in a sealed envelope and newly reelected speaker Ricardo Alarcon announced later to the assembly that 76-year-old Raul -- the only candidate put forward to take the helm -- had been named the new president.

    In defiance of US-led calls for democratic change, Fidel Castro had ruled out any betrayal of the Cuban revolution ahead of Sunday's landmark vote.

    "The end of one era is not the same thing as the beginning of an unsustainable system," Castro wrote in an editorial on Friday.

    (Source.)

    You've got to hand it to ol' Fidel... he's survived 10 U.S. presidents, countless assassination attempts, resisted all external influence for nearly 50 years, and finally gave up power peacefully (to his brother, but still) and retired. Like him or hate him, there are few (if any) national leaders that could fill his shoes.

    Not much will change under Raul I expect, so the real question is who will replace Raul, because due to his age he probably won't rule for long.
     
    Taluntain, Feb 24, 2008
    #1
  2. Aldeth the Foppish Idiot

    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot Armed with My Mallet O' Thinking Veteran

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    That's what I'm wondering too. In fact, I found that Fidel wished for Raul to replace him rather curious. It is almost certain that Fidel is in poor health. Even if Raul is in remarkably good health for a 76-year old man, this still seems like a temporary fix. How long is Raul going to be around? 5 years? 10 years? Fidel doesn't have any kids. Does Raul?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2008
    Aldeth the Foppish Idiot, Feb 25, 2008
    #2

  3. The Shaman Gems: 28/31
    Latest gem: Star Sapphire

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    I agree - for his long tenure, at least, Castro deserves a place in the 20th century history books. He is probably among the most lasting (Communist or not) leaders in modern history, and that he managed to retire peacefully is no small feat. Authoritarian leaders, in particular, seldom cede power and live long - or comfortably - afterwards.

    I also doubt Raul would make any big changes himself - he probably does not have the energy and his image is too tied to that of his brother anyway. Through choosing his own successor and preparing the ground for him, however, I think he could have quite a bit of influence. I suppose Raul will eventually pass the torch to a younger and less doctrinarian activist - with the dying out of the generation that actually saw the revolution, he might not have that much choice. That might herald a normalization of Cuba's relationships with the world and USA in particular. On the other hand, if Raul tries to keep power among the more trusted members of the elite - likely the original revolutionaries and their inner circle - this would probably lead to a series of short and ineffective leaders like the USSR gerontocracy in the early 1980's. Afterwards, things might get unpredictable in a good or bad way.

    BTW, how did the Cuban community in the US react on the issue? I think they might have a significant influence on the US-Cuban relationship.
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2008
    The Shaman, Feb 25, 2008
    #3
  4. Montresor

    Montresor Mostly Harmless Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder

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    According to Wikipedia, he has three daughters and one son. They might be candidates to take over after Raúl.

    I don't see much changing under Raúl - he is after all Fidel's brother and hand-picked successor. Like The Shaman says, things will get more interesting (one way or another) once they run out of old revolutionaries and the "younger" (less than seventy, anyway) generation takes over.
     
    Montresor, Feb 25, 2008
    #4
  5. Drew

    Drew Arrogant, contemptible, and obnoxious Adored Veteran

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    I'm hoping they go with Stephen Colbert.
     
    Drew, Feb 26, 2008
    #5
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