Raul Castro, 89, is stepping down as head of its Communist Party

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Cuba not led by a Castro?
 
 Raul Castro, 89, is stepping down as head of its Communist Party, the most powerful position on the island.
 
 The country is grappling with an economic crisis and shortages in food and medicine.
 
 https://nbcnews.com/news/latino/cubas-raul-castro-stepping-position-head-communist-party-rcna689 via @nbcnews
 https://twitter.com/NBCLatino/status/1382777535914721280

NBC

Raul Castro is stepping down as the head of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most powerful position on the island, with few expectations of significant change among Cubans, despite it being a historic move.

The Communist Party’s eighth congress will begin Friday when it will certify President Miguel Díaz-Canel as the next party secretary-general and set policy guidelines. Castro and his late brother, Fidel Castro, have been in power since the 1959 revolution, and he said in 2018 he expected Díaz-Canel to replace him after his retirement in 2021. Díaz-Canel, 60, represents a new generation and is serving the first of two five-year terms as president.

Many analysts believe Castro, who turns 90 in June, will continue to be the most influential figure on the island until his death.