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Miguel Diaz-Canel becomes Cuba's president, Raul Castro steps down
[NBCNEWS] Cuba has a new president, and for the first time in over 40 years, his last name is not Castro.Miguel Díaz-Canel officially became president on Thursday morning after Raúl Castro stepped down and Díaz-Canel was confirmed by the National Assembly. Castro, 86, will remain head of the Communist Party, the most powerful governing body on the island, but his departure from the presidency represents a symbolic shift in an aging leadership. The transition is an effort to guarantee that younger leaders like Díaz-Canel ‐ who has served as Cuba's first vice president since 2013 and turns 58 on Friday ‐ can maintain the power of the Communist-run government put in place by the party's now octogenarian founders. Among Díaz-Canel's immediate challenges are Cuba's economic stagnation and a younger generation's disenchantment with its limited opportunities. Compañero Raul Castro ...Fidel's little brother... served two five-year terms as president, succeeding his brother, Fidel, in 2006 after Fidel fell ill and transferred power to Raul (Fidel died in 2016.)
Posted by: Fred 2018-04-20 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=512793 |