Castro era set to end in Cuba

For the first time since 1959, Cuba is about to be governed by someone other than a Castro as Raul who took over from his elder brother Fidel who died in late 2016 is retiring from the presidency.

President Raul Castro, 86, is expected to step down after two five-year terms during the assembly, marking the completion of Castro rule on the socialist nation in nearly six decades.

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Reports say Cuba will open a session of its National Assembly on Wednesday that will mark the end of an era in the socialist nation as First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel is expected to assume the position of Cuba’s president as the handpicked successor after a party vote on Thursday.

The expected transfer of power comes at a precarious time in Cuba’s history as Cuban allies in Latin America have been voted out of government positions across the region in recent years.

Cuba is also facing economic difficulties after Castro initiated market-style reforms that were agreed to in 2011. Though the reforms caused a boom in the Cuban economy, they have since slowed.

 

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