Miguel Díaz-Canel To Become Cuba's Next President

AFP: Cubans prepare to turn the page on Castro era

Havana (Cuba) (AFP) - Cuban President Raul Castro steps down Thursday, passing the baton to a new generation in a transition that brings to a close the Castro brothers' six-decade grip on power.

"We have come a long way... so that our children, those of the present and those of the future, will be happy," Castro said in one of his last speeches as leader last month.

The 86-year-old has been in power since 2006, when he took over after illness sidelined his brother Fidel, who seized power in the 1959 revolution.

Between them, father of the nation Fidel and younger brother Raul ruled Cuba for nearly 60 years, making the Caribbean island a key player in the Cold War and helping keep communism afloat despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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WNU Editor: About two-thirds of the Cuban population work for the government, and they make about $20 - $30 permonth. And while the government likes to brag about free education and free health care .... for anyone who has visited the island nation (and I have) .... the poverty is a fact of life for much of the population. Will First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel who is about to assume the Presidency change the status quo .... if I was a bettting man I would say no.

More News On Miguel Díaz-Canel About To Become Cuba's Next President

Raul Castro Stepping Down A Day Earlier Than Planned -- CBS Miami
Younger party official faces test as Cuba's next president -- Washington Post
Castro set to step aside as Cuban president, his reforms incomplete -- Reuters
Who is Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuba's likely new president? A look from those who know him -- NBC
A look at the old leadership of Cuba -- FOX News/AP
Cuba's Raul Castro: key dates -- AFP