Political path of Cuban President's successor
After President Raul Castro's term ended in April this year, his successor is said to be a young face who has held many positions and is trusted by the Cuban leader.
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| President Raul Castro talks with his deputy Diaz-Canel (left) in Havana, Cuba in 2016. Photo: Reuters |
On April 19, Cuban President Raul Castro is expected to end his second term and pass a bill limiting the leadership position in this Caribbean island nation to a maximum of two five-year terms. Currently, all attention is on First Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez - who is expected to succeed President Raul Castro after he leaves politics in the next few months.
Mr. Diaz-Canel was born in 1960 to teachers and factory workers in central Cuba. After training as an electronics engineer, he joined the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR). After leaving the military, Mr. Diaz-Canel moved into education and worked at the Central University of Martha Abreu. He became a leader of the Union of Young Communists (UJC) and grew up in the youth movement.
A former university professor, Mr. Diaz-Canel was elected to the Politburo, the 14-member highest decision-making body of the Communist Party of Cuba, in 2003. He also served as First Secretary of the Villa Clara and Holguin provinces before being appointed Minister of Higher Education until 2012. Under Mr. Diaz-Canel's leadership for nine years, Villa Clara province implemented positive cultural reforms and became the center of Cuba's rock music movement.
Also in 2012, Mr. Diaz-Canel was promoted by President Raul Castro to Vice President of the Council of Ministers and held this position until 2013. In both this position and his time as Minister of Education, Mr. Diaz-Canel was known as an enthusiastic reformer.
In February 2013, Mr. Diaz-Canel became the first leader born after the Cuban Revolution (1953-1959) to sit in the position of First Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba, and also a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba. In recent public speeches, Mr. Diaz-Canel has voiced his support for the idea of continuing socialism and revolution in Cuba.
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| President Raul Castro sits next to Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel at a parliamentary session in Havana on July 8, 2016. Photo: Reuters |
As an official who does not belong to Cuba's revolutionary elder generation, Mr. Diaz-Canel shows the image of a younger, more modern politician compared to the leaders who have held power for many years in this Caribbean island nation.
Mr Diaz-Canel is said to enjoy rock 'n' roll, although the genre was banned in Cuba in the early days of the revolution. He is also frequently seen reading information from a tablet during government meetings.
As a senior official, Mr. Diaz-Canel called for the loosening of tight media controls in Cuba, supported the opening of the media, and welcomed the widespread use of the Internet, which few Cubans had access to. The Cuban government later allowed wireless networks in public areas across the country.
Cuban President Raul Castro, who supports “genuine revolutionaries who do not seek power,” has been full of praise for his deputy. According to President Raul Castro, Mr. Diaz-Canel is not a newcomer but has had a political career spanning nearly 30 years. Mr. Diaz-Canel has also been seen sitting next to the Cuban leader many times during important meetings of the country.