End of Castro era in Cuba as Diaz-Canel takes over

CUBA is poised for the end of an era as President Raul Castro steps down, formally handing power to his long-time deputy Miguel Diaz-Canel -and thereby ending his family’s six-decade grip on the island.

The silver-haired Diaz-Canel, 57 -- a top Communist Party figure who has served as first vice-president since 2013 -- will become the island’s first leader born after the 1959 revolution, and the first in 60 years who is not named Castro.

Between them, father of the nation Fidel and his younger brother Raul made the Caribbean island a key player in the Cold War and helped keep communism afloat despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Raul, now 86, has been in power since 2006, when he took over after illness sidelined Fidel, who seized power in the revolution.

Diaz-Canel, who has spent years climbing the party ranks, was named the sole candidate for the presidency on Wednesday.

He was to be formally confirmed as the country’s leader yesterday -– the anniversary of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, when Fidel Castro’s forces defeated 1 400 US-backed rebels seeking to overthrow him.

Havana has long hailed the showdown as American imperialism’s first great defeat in Latin America.

It is also the day before the new president’s 58th birthday.

Diaz-Canel, who some say bears a passing resemblance to American actor Richard Gere, is a fan of The Beatles. His penchant for wearing jeans has set him apart in Havana’s corridors of power.

Although he has advocated fewer restrictions on the media and a greater openness to the internet, he also has a ruthless streak, with harsh words for Cuba’s dissidents and the United States.

Crucially, he will remain under the watchful eye of Castro, who will continue to serve as the head of Cuba’s all-powerful Communist Party.

Once sworn in, Diaz-Canel will be tasked with pursuing reforms begun by Castro to open up Cuba’s economy to small private entrepreneurs and reach a rapprochement with its Cold War archenemy, the United States.

In 2015, Havana and Washington renewed diplomatic ties, with then president Barack Obama making a historic visit to the island a year later.

But, steps towards a normalisation of ties have been severely curtailed since Donald Trump arrived in the White House last year.

Diaz-Canel will also inherit a youthful population hungry for change on the Caribbean island. – AFP