Raul Castro is Elected as President of Cuba | World History Project Feb 24 2008 Raul Castro is Elected as President of Cuba Brigadier-General (retired) Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (born 3 June 1931) is the President of the Cuban Council of State and the President (As Premier) of the Council of Ministers of Cuba. The younger brother of Fidel Castro, he is also Second Secretary of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), and Commander in Chief (Maximum General) of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force). On 31 July 2006, Raúl Castro assumed the duties of President of the Council of State in a temporary transfer of power due to Fidel Castro's illness. According to the Cuban Constitution of 1976, Article 94, the First Vice President of the Council of State assumes presidential duties upon the illness or death of the president.

Raúl Castro was elected President at the 24 February 2008 National Assembly as Fidel Castro had announced his intention not to stand for President again on 19 February 2008. Raul Castro - Cuba President Raúl Castro, present president of Cuba and younger brother of the former president Fidel Castro was elected president on February 24, 2008. He fought with Fidel in the Sierra Maestra against the dictator Batista. Raul kept a low profile during the presidency of the charismatic Fidel, but he was known as a Communist Party hardliner and an excellent organizer of the Government. He established the entire tourism industry to fund the FAR the Cuban Revolutionary Army, from whom he was the Commander in Chief. Cuba experts believe that the younger Castro is in favour of an economy based on the 'Chinese Model' and gradually will allow small private businesses. At present the changes are small and slow because he is afraid for a "system collapse" like the one seen in the former Soviet Union during the Mikhail Gorbachov presidency. Some important Cuban hardliners considered as "Fidelistas" or Fidel followers like Felipe Perez Roque and Carlos Lage Davilia have been dismissed.

The election of the new US president Barack Obama may open new perspectives for better relations with the USA. The country's future with Raúl Castro Raul Castro elected president of Cuba_English_Xinhua Photo Gallery>>> HAVANA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Cuban army general Raul Castro was elected the new president of Cuba on Sunday during a legislative session held at Cuba's Palace of Conventions in Havana. Raul said his older brother Fidel Castro would remain a key figure and vowed to be on guard against U.S. "meddling" as he assumed the presidency. "We have taken note of the offensive and openly meddling declarations by the empire and some of its closest allies," the new Cuban leader said. "I am assuming the responsibility entrusted to me with the conviction that the commander-in-chief of the Cuban revolution remains unique. Fidel is Fidel," said Raul, during his acceptance speech at the seventh session of Cuba's legislature, the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP). "Today a more compact and functional structure is needed," Raul,76, told the ANPP, adding that Cuba needs "a smaller number of central administration bodies and a better distribution of their functions.

We have to make our government more efficient." On Sunday, 597 deputies unanimously elected a 31-member Council of State for a term of five years, which in turn elected Raul as president of the country. Raul Castro (L) greets the audience as he enters a meeting of the National Assembly in Havana Feb. 24, 2008. Cuban army general Raul Castro was elected on Sunday as president of Cuba during a legislative session held at Cuba's Palace of Conventions in the nation's capital Havana.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> There were 17 absences from the 614 deputies elected to the ANPP in January. These included Fidel Castro, who has not been seen in public since he handed over power provisionally to Raul inJuly 2006 in order to recover from intestinal surgery. On Feb. 19, Fidel resigned as president, saying in a statement that due to illness he would not aspire to or accept such a post.

During Sunday's speech, Raul described his brother as "irreplaceable," adding that Fidel would be consulted on "decisions of fundamental importance for the nation's future, including defense, foreign policy and socio-economic development." The council elected Jose Ramon Machado Ventura as first vice president. And the ANPP also reelected Ricardo Alarcon, 70, as leader of the legislature, a post he has held since 1993. It is reported that around 63 percent of the 2008 ANPP are new deputies, and the average age of the chamber's members is 49. Just over 78 percent of them have higher degrees while nearly 36 percent are black or of mixed-race. Raul Castro (L) enters a meeting of the National Assembly in Havana Feb. 24, 2008.

Cuban army general Raul Castro was elected on Sunday as president of Cuba during a legislative session held at Cuba's Palace of Conventions in the nation's capital Havana.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Resignation of the Cuban President | Law Library of Congress Law Library of Congress Search GO The Library of Congress > Law Library > Research & Reports > Legal Reports >Legal Implications of the Resignation of the Cuban President Law Library of Congress Logo Official blog from the Law Library of Congress Find the Law Library on: Back to Index of Legal Reports Resignation of Fidel Castro On July 31, 2006, the official Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma made public a Proclamation (external link) from President Fidel Castro, announcing a temporary transfer of power from Fidel to his brother Raul, who until that time served as a general in the Cuban armed forces and second-in-command of the government and the Communist Party. [ 1 ] The transfer took place due to an acute intestinal problem that required Fidel Castro to undergo surgery.

[ 2 ] Even though Fidel Castro did not indicate in his proclamation the legal authority he used in order to cede power temporarily to his brother, it should be noted that article 94 of the Cuban Constitution (external link) provides that in case of the absence, illness, or death of the President of the Council of State (i.e.,Fidel Castro), the First Vice President (i.e., Raul Castro) assumes the President’s duties. [ 3 ] On February 19, 2008, Granma published a message (external link) from Fidel Castro in which he announced that, due to his poor health, he could no longer serve as President of Cuba. [ 4 ] After Castro resigned, the National Assembly of People’s Power (Cuba’s legislative body) convened in order to elect a new president, which is one of its powers according to the Cuban Constitution (external link) . [ 5 ] Raúl Castro Elected Cuba’s New President On February 24, 2008, the National Assembly of People’s Power elected (external link) Raúl Castro, Fidel’s younger brother, as president of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers.

[ 6 ] The Council of State acts on behalf of the Assembly (which meets twice a year) when it is not in session. [ 7 ] The President of the Council of State is the Head of State and Head of Government. [ 8 ] The Council of Ministers is the highest ranking executive and administrative body. [ 9 ] In his inaugural speech (external link) , Raul Castro indicated that he intends to confer with Fidel Castro on matters of special relevance for Cuba, especially those pertaining to defense, foreign policy, and the socioeconomic development of the country. [ 10 ] In addition, Raul Castro asked the assembly to give him some time to think about who will be the members of his cabinet (except the Defense Minister and the Vice President, who were appointed on February 24, 2008) and, most importantly, to give him some time to analyze the current government system and to consider changes to it, if necessary. [ 11 ] The Assembly approved this proposal (external link) (PDF) and determined that the new cabinet and possible changes to the government system will be discussed in a session that will take place later in the year. [ 12 ] Updates will follow as developments arise.

Raúl Castro chosen as new President of Cuba - Wikinews, the free news source Raúl Castro chosen as new President of Cuba From Wikinews, the free news source you can write! Raúl Castro. Image: Valter Campanato. Today, the National Assembly of People's Power , Cuba 's legislative parliament, announced that it had unanimously chosen Raúl Castro , 76, as the new President of Cuba . He will serve for 5 years. The National Assembly, composed of 614 members previously elected in a January 20, 2008 general election, also chose the new First Vice-President, José Ramón Machado Ventura , along with 29 other members of the Council of State , Cuba's executive power. The Assembly has chosen Cuba's Council of State ever since the Socialist Cuban Constitution was approved by 97.7% of voters in a referendum in 1976. This decision comes after Fidel Castro , who ruled as President ever since rising to power in 1959 with the Cuban Revolution , wrote a letter last Tuesday saying that he would not "aspire to or accept...

the positions of President of Council of State and Commander in Chief" in today's election for a new President, who also becomes the leader of the Council of State and the Commander in Chief of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces . According to Voice of America, he will still remain First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba , the only official party in the Communist state . While Cuban exiles in Miami , who have escaped Cuba and what they consider a dictatorship in search of a better life in the United States , celebrated Fidel's retirement as leader of the country, the Cuban streets of Havana , the country's capital, have remained calm and all has continued as normal. Raúl, who is also Fidel's brother, has been acting president of Cuba since July 31, 2006, when Fidel transferred his presidential power to him after undergoing an emergency intestinal surgery for what is believed to be diverticulitis and was widely expected to be elected President.

The United States has said the change from one Castro to another would not bring about significant change in Cuba, calling it a "transfer of authority and power from dictator to dictator light." Before the Assembly meeting, BBC correspondents interviewed Cubans at the Havana Book Fair about what they think the most important task should be for the country's next leader. While many coincided that economical and educational reforms were badly needed, they also stated that Cuba "must keep the same rhythm with the revolution that has already given so much to the people." Have an opinion on this story? Post it! Related news Raúl Castro becomes Cuban president - The New York Times The New York Times Americas |Raúl Castro becomes Cuban president Search Raúl Castro becomes Cuban president By JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR. DEC. 4, 2008 Continue reading the main story HAVANA — Raúl Castro, who has labored in the shadow of his brother Fidel since the days of the Cuban revolution, became the new president of the Communist island on Sunday, ending his brother's 49-year rule, as well as speculation that a younger generation would take power.

In his first words as president, Castro made it clear that any changes would be limited, promising to continue to consult his brother on every important decision. He said his brother was still alive and alert, and the time had yet to come when the leaders of the revolution in the 1950s had to pass the baton to a new generation. "Fidel is Fidel, you know that well," he said to the National Assembly shortly after it elected him president. "He is irreplaceable and the people will continue his work even though he is not physically here." Raúl Castro said the government needed to change to survive in the new era. He proposed putting more power in the hands of provincial governments and streamlining the bureaucracy in Havana. "Today a more compact structure is required," he said. Continue reading the main story But other actions by the assembly ensured the continued power of Cuba's old guard. It not only chose as president Raúl Castro, who is 76 and the longtime defense minister, but also another veteran of the revolution, José Ramón Machado Ventura, 76, as the first vice president. A former health minister, Machado Ventura has a reputation as a Communist hard-liner fiercely loyal to the Castros.

And the assembly re-elected Ricardo Alarcón, 70, as its president. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The decisions appeared to dash the hopes of Fidel Castro's younger followers. Some had expected that a younger politician would take over the helm of the legislature, an important bully pulpit even if the body itself serves only to rubber-stamp the president's decisions. Carlos Lage, a 56-year-old physician close to the elder Castro who engineered the economy after Soviet aid dried up in the 1990s, remains in the same role he had before, one of five vice presidents. The foreign minister, Felipe Pérez Roque, 42, also was passed over for promotion. Perhaps the most important challenge facing the new president is the struggling economy. Since he assumed the role of acting president in 2006, Raúl Castro has raised expectations among Cubans that he might act to make it easier to earn a decent salary within the state-run system. He also has encouraged more public debate about the country's problems. He has called for more productive farms and spoken of "structural changes" that he believes are needed to revitalize the economy. So far, he has not followed these promises with actions.

The ballot before the assembly contained 31 names for the top positions in the country and only one name for each position. Several delegates said they were satisfied with the choice of Raúl Castro as their next president. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy "He has had the career path that goes all the way back to the Granma," said one delegate, Teovaldo de la Paz Venega, a garbage collector, referring to the yacht on which the Castro brothers arrived with their ragtag rebel force in 1956. "He has the confidence of the people." Another delegate, General Ernesto Ruiz Ramos, also cited Raúl Castro's revolutionary roots. "He has all the characteristics of all revolutionaries," he said. "He is one of us." The National Assembly was chosen last month in elections completely controlled by the Communist party, the only political organization permitted on this island of 11 million people. The assembly was given a list of candidates for president and 30 other top positions, who collectively make up the council of state.

The list was put together by a committee of party apparatchiks over the last month who polled the assembly members in private to assure it would be approved. In a sense, who holds the office of president hardly matters, experts on Cuban politics say. Fidel and Raúl Castro remain firmly in control of the Communist Party, the ultimate authority on the island. They could rule from behind the scenes without occupying the presidency. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Raúl Castro also controls the military. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the military - with about 37,000 active members and 700,000 reservists - has become much more than simply an expeditionary army at the service of what was once the Soviet bloc. Having served under Raúl Castro for decades in the Defense Ministry, Cuba's active and retired military leaders oversee important state-run businesses, from agricultural production to tourist enterprises. Generals who learned their logistical skills on battlefields in Africa now run some of the state's most important businesses, the all-important earners of hard currency, as well as the police and security forces.

They are likely to play a critical role in consolidating Raúl Castro's power over the new government, and they are the only figures in Cuban society who have the power to bring down the government quickly. Most have close personal relationships with Raúl Castro, who has put them in lucrative positions of authority and power. A version of this article appears in print on December 4, 2008, in The International Herald Tribune. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Castro resigns as Cuban president | World news | The Guardian Castro resigns as Cuban president Fidel Castro at the José Martí airport in 2004. Photograph: Sven Creutzmann/Getty Tuesday 19 February 2008 11.38 EST First published on Tuesday 19 February 2008 11.38 EST Share on Messenger Close Fidel Castro today announced his retirement as the Cuban head of state, 49 years after seizing power in an armed revolution. The US and UK welcomed the move as a chance for Cuba to begin moving towards democracy, although Washington said it was unlikely to remove its long-standing trade embargo, even without Castro in charge.

The 81-year-old leader - who handed interim power to his brother, Raúl, after undergoing surgery in July 2006 - said in a letter, published on the site of the official state newspaper, Granma: "I communicate to you that I will not aspire to or accept ... the position of president of council of state and commander in chief." Raúl Castro, 76, is considered the most likely candidate to be appointed as the new president by the Cuban parliament. Fidel Castro had not appeared in public for almost 19 months after being hit by an undisclosed illness, believed to be intestinal. His retirement brings down the curtain on a political career that spanned the cold war, CIA assassination attempts and the demise of Soviet communism. He has outlasted nine US presidents, spending longer in power than any leader who was not a monarch. Word of his retirement spread slowly on Cuba, with state-run radio only carrying the news at around 5am local time (10.00 GMT) - several hours after his resignation statement was posted on the internet. "It is like losing a father," Luis Conte, an elderly Cuban man, told the Associated Press.

The US president, George Bush, said Castro's resignation marked a potential opportunity for Cuba's 11.2 million people. "The international community should work with the Cuban people to begin to build institutions that are necessary for democracy," Bush told reporters during a visit to Rwanda. The US president's comments were backed Downing Street. A spokesman for the prime minister, Gordon Brown, said: "Our position on Cuba is a long-standing one, which is that we have always sought to encourage a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba. "Anything which encourages progress down that path is something we would welcome." However, it appears unlikely that Cuba will see any loosening of the four-decade US economic embargo - which has severely constricted the Cuban econony - soon. "I can't imagine that happening any time soon," the US deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte, said when asked whether Washington would lift the embargo. Although Castro has stepped down as president, he remains a member of parliament and is likely to be elected to the 31-strong council of state. He will also retain his powerful post as the first secretary of Cuba's Communist party. A new parliament, elected in January, will meet on Sunday.

In turn, it will elect a new president in March - just as the US goes through the process of choosing its own presidential candidates. Raúl Castro was second in the Cuban power structure, serving as the defence minister until taking over from his brother in July 2006. However, it had always been felt that his role would be temporary, with a younger person taking over in the long term. One of the current favourites for the position is Carlos Lage, the 56-year old vice president. Lage, a paediatrician by profession, has risen to prominence in recent months after overseeing economic changes in Cuba. These have included negotiations over oil from Venezuela, whose president, Hugo Chávez, is Castro's strongest international supporter. Castro's rise to power began on New Year's Day 1959. His almost 50 year rule of absolute control kept Cuba among the world's five last remaining communist countries, long after the breakup of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism across eastern Europe. Many attempts by the US to topple the communist state, just 90 miles from the south of Florida, were resisted.

The US was the first country to recognise Castro's new role as leader after his guerrilla movement drove out then president, Fulgencio Batista. However, the two countries quickly clashed over Castro's increasingly radical path, which saw many American properties and businesses seized. Two years later, he declared his revolution to be socialist and soon invited aid from fellow communist state the Soviet Union. His reign saw one of the most traumatic periods of history, during which the world came close to nuclear war. Following the disastrous CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, the US discovered nuclear-armed missiles on the island, which led to a showdown until the Soviet Union agreed to remove them. The fall of the Soviet Union plunged Cuba into financial crisis until the late 90s, when it slowly recovered, helped by a tourism boom. A charismatic leader, Castro is famous for his long speeches, delivered while wearing green military fatigues, and his cry of "socialism or death". Supporters have praised his ability to provide high levels of healthcare and education for Cuban citizens, while keeping the country fully independent of the US.

However, his critics describe him as a dictator whose rule denied civil liberties such as freedom of speech and movement, and saw many of his opponents thrown into jail. Castro Resigns Presidency of Cuba, After 49 Years : NPR Castro Resigns Presidency of Cuba, After 49 Years Castro Resigns Presidency of Cuba, After 49 Years Tom Gjelten reports on 'All Things Considered' Embed Embed February 19, 20083:26 PM ET Cuban dissidents Oscar Espinosa Chepe and Miriam Leiva: Political, economic implications Embed Embed <iframe src="" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> What's Next: Julia Sweig, director for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations Embed Embed <iframe src="" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Fidel Castro stands in front of a tank, en route from Sierra Maestra to Havana in early 1959, after winning the revolutionary war.

Lee Lockwood/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Lee Lockwood/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images In Focus Cuban President Fidel Castro takes part in a rally in July of 2006 during the inauguration of an electricity generating plant. Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption The Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban leader Fidel Castro says he will not seek re-election and has resigned as Cuba's president, after 49 years in power. Castro announced in Cuba's state-run newspaper that he is stepping down . At 81, he has been ailing and has not appeared in public in the past year and a half. When the Cuban parliament meets Sunday, Castro said, he will neither seek nor accept a new term as president. Despite its historical importance, Castro's announcement did not come as a complete surprise. When Cuba's parliament convenes this weekend, it would have had either to re-elect Castro or choose a new president. Cuba held elections last month for a new National Assembly; the new legislature meets for the first time on Sunday. Their first order of business is to elect an Council of State and a president. The president of the Council of State will serve as Cuba's president for the next five years.

Castro handed power to his younger brother, Raul, 18 months ago, on an interim basis. Many see a chance now for Raul, 76, to implement reforms he has hinted at since taking over as acting president when Fidel Castro fell ill in July 2006. Article continues after sponsorship Raul Castro has called for better relations with the United States, only to have his brother say that the time was not right for such a shift. Many analysts think Raul Castro will try to open the Cuban economy and make other changes. But as long as Fidel Castro is alive, the Communist Party leader will still be a powerful force in Cuba . The announcement came overnight in the online edition of the Communist Party newspaper Granma. For five decades, Castro led Cuba, transforming the island nation into a communist stronghold 90 miles from the United States. "Once he became convinced of any of his projects, despite whatever evidence, despite whatever arguments against that project, he stood by his convictions and he would go on and on regardless of everything and everyone," said Domingo Amachastegui, who served under Castro in the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

Cuba's National Assembly is expected to nominate Castro's younger brother, Raul Castro, as president. Still, Fidel Castro will remain as first secretary of the ruling Communist Party, and he told fellow Cubans in his message Tuesday, "My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas." In his letter announcing his withdrawal from office, Castro wrote, "This is not my farewell. I shall continue to write under the heading 'Reflections by Comrade Fidel." "Perhaps," he wrote, "my voice will be heard." After hearing of the news, President Bush said that he sees opportunity in Castro's retirement. The transition from Castro to a new government ought to lead to free and fair elections, the president said. Bush was speaking at a news conference during his trip to Africa. "The question should be, what does this mean for the Cuban people?" Bush asked. "They're the ones who suffered most under Castro." The president called for the international community to help Cuba move toward democracy.

From NPR reports and the Associated Press Bush: 'A Period of Transition' for Cuba Email February 19, 20089:49 AM ET President Bush says Fidel Castro's resignation as president of Cuba marks a "period of transition" for the island nation. Following is a transcript of Bush's response to a question about Castro's announcement, during Bush's visit to Kigali, Rwanda, on Tuesday. Mr. President, can you tell us what it means for the United States that — for the U.S. policy — that Castro has said he's going to step down? And how is that going to change things for the U.S.? Yes, thanks. I heard the reports, several ways — one, reporters yelling it at me, and then of course I was briefed. ... More important — you know, the question really should be, what does this mean for the people in Cuba? They're the ones who suffered under Fidel Castro. They're the ones who were put in prison because of their beliefs. They're the ones who have been denied their right to live in a free society.

So, I view this as a period of transition; that — and it should be the beginning of the democratic transition for the people in Cuba. There will be an interesting debate that will arise eventually. There will be some who say, let's promote stability. Of course, in the meantime, political prisoners will rot in prison, and the human condition will remain pathetic in many cases. I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition. First step, of course, will be for people put in these prisons to be let out. I've met with many of the, or some of the families of prisoners. It just breaks your heart to realize that people have been thrown in prison because they dared speak out. The international community should work with the Cuban people to begin to build institutions that are necessary for democracy. And eventually, this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections — and I mean free and I mean fair, not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as being true democracy. And we're going to help — the United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty. And so those are my initial thoughts.

Source: The White House Embed Embed <iframe src="" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> In a 1959 interview with Ed Sullivan, Fidel Castro says Cuba will have no more dictators. SOFA Home Entertainment hide caption toggle caption SOFA Home Entertainment A group of captured Cubans, part of a U.S.-backed force of Cuban exiles who attempted an invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs, are lined up by Castro's soldiers on the Playa de Giron, Cuba, in 1961. Three Lions/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Three Lions/Getty Images President Kennedy delivers a televised address about the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Getty Images Fidel Castro makes a point at the U.N. special session marking the organization's 50th anniversary in 1995.

Bob Strong/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Bob Strong/AFP/Getty Images Fidel Castro looks skyward as he delivers a speech in Bayamo July 26, 2006, during a ceremony marking the 53rd anniversary of the assault on the Moncada barracks by rebels led by Castro. Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba in 1959 and held it for nearly a half-century, becoming one of the world's longest-ruling leaders. After falling ill in July 2006, he cedes power to his brother Raul, then resigns as president in February 2008. Read a timeline of the communist dictator's life. December 1903: The treaty leasing Guantanamo Bay to the United States for use as a military fueling station is signed in Havana. 1925: The Cuban Socialist Party is founded. Aug. 13, 1926: Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is born on his family's sugar plantation in Biran, Cuba.

1933: Gerado Machado's dictatorial regime is overthrown in a military coup led by Sgt. Fulgencio Batista. 1944: Batista retires and is succeeded by Ramon Gray San Martin. 1945: Castro attends the University of Havana Law School. 1950: Castro opens a private law practice in Havana. 1952: Castro's plans to run for the House of Representatives are disrupted as Batista returns to power after an eight-year retirement. July 26, 1953: Castro organizes a rebellion, attacking Batista's largest military outpost, the Moncada Barracks near Santiago. The revolt is unsuccessful and Castro is arrested. October 1953: After a three-month trial, Castro is sentenced to 15 years in prison for his part in the attacks on the Moncada Barracks. May 1955: Castro is granted amnesty and released from prison. He goes into exile in Mexico. 1955: While in Mexico, Castro founds the 26th of July movement, named after the failed offensive on the Moncada Barracks that led to his imprisonment.

1956: Castro returns to Cuba. He creates a stronghold in the Sierra Masetra Mountains where his revolutionary movement grows in popularity. 1958: The United States withdraws its military assistance to the Batista regime. Jan. 1, 1959: Batista flees Cuba as Castro's forces enter Havana. In the following week, a new government is formed and Castro arrives, assuming the post as commander in chief of the armed forces. Castro would also later fill the position of prime minister, vacated by Jose Miro Cardona. May 1959: Castro's government begins expropriating U.S.-owned property. June 1960: Castro nationalizes an estimated $850 million worth of U.S. property and businesses after President Eisenhower slashes the import quota for Cuban sugar. The Bay of Pigs Invasion April 14, 1961: Castro describes his revolution as socialist. April 15, 1961: The U.S. military bombs Cuban airfields.

April 17, 1961: Hoping to incite a popular uprising against Castro's government, a force of about 1,400 Cuban exiles — who are trained, financed and commanded by the CIA l— land at Playa Giron in the Bay of Pigs. President Kennedy cancels official U.S. military support for the operation at the last minute. April 21, 1961: Castro's forces successfully defend the shore, capturing the invading exiles. Feb. 7, 1962: In continued response to Cuba's nationalization of American property, the United States imposes a trade embargo against Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis Oct. 14, 1962: A U-2 spy-plane mission discovers missile sites in Cuba. Oct. 22, 1962: President Kennedy announces the presence of tactical missile sites in Cuba. Oct. 27, 1962: An American U-2 spy plan is shot down over Cuba, killing the pilot. Oct. 28, 1962: After tense negotiations with the United States, Khrushchev agrees to withdraw Soviet missiles from Cuba.

In return, the United States agrees not to invade Cuba and to remove missiles from Turkey. Dec. 1, 1965: The United States begins an airlift of residents seeking to leave Cuba. Nov. 2, 1966: Almost 125,000 Cubans living in the United States apply for permanent residency after President Johnson grants amnesty to Cuban immigrants who arrived in the country after Jan. 1, 1959. April 6, 1973: The Cuban airlift ends after bringing more than 260,000 Cuban immigrants to the United States in eight years. Nov. 11, 1975: The Angolan independence group M.P.L.A. takes over the capital city of Luanda and declares Angola's independence from Portugal with heavy military assistance from Cuba. Nov. 20, 1975: U.S. intelligence discloses more than eight failed attempts by the CIA to assassinate Fidel Castro between 1960 and 1965. 1976: Cuban Communist Party adopts a new constitution institutionalizing socialism. Castro assumes the presidency.

1980: More than 125,000 Cubans flood out of the port of Mariel and make their way to Florida. Over a five-month span, the Mariel boatlift also brings thousands of criminals and mental patients to U.S. shores. 1988: Cuba withdraws its military presence from Angola. 1991: Soviet advisers leave Cuba following the collapse of the USSR. Lacking Soviet economic aid, Cuba's economy falls into recession. Sept. 9, 1994: Cuba and the United States agree to cap the number of Cuban refugees admitted into the United States at 20,000 per year. January 1996: Brothers to the Rescue, an anti-Castro organization based in Miami, uses airplanes to drop fliers over Havana urging citizens to revolt against the government. Feb. 24, 1996: U.S. trade embargo becomes permanent in response to Cuba shooting down two U.S. aircraft operated by Miami-based Cuban exiles. January 1998: Pope John Paul II visits Cuba.

November 1999: Six-year-old Elian Gonzalez is found floating off the coast of South Florida after the boat carrying him, his mother and 12 others capsized. His mother drowned in the accident and Elian is put in the custody of family members in Miami. After a high-profile legal dispute, Elian is reunited with his father in Cuba in June 2000. 1999: Castro celebrates 40 years in power. October 2000: U.S. House of Representatives approves limited sale of food and medicine to Cuba, revising the Cuban trade embargo. April 2004: The United Nations Human Rights Commission censures Cuba over recent human rights abuses, including the detention of more than 75 political dissidents. 2005: Forbes magazine lists Castro among the world's richest people, estimating his net worth at $550 million. In 2006, Forbes increases his estimated worth to $900 million; Castro denies that he benefits from an empire of state-owned enterprises. March 30, 2006: Spanish-language newspapers mistakenly report that Fidel Castro is dead.

July 31, 2006: A statement from the Cuban leader says Castro has undergone surgery for intestinal bleeding and that he is temporarily ceding power to his brother Raul. March 28, 2007: Castro writes the first dozens of essays called "Reflections of the Commander in Chief" that give him a voice on international affairs while he remains off the public stage. Dec. 18, 2007: Castro publishes an essay saying he doesn't intend to cling to power forever, and will not "obstruct the path of younger people." He repeats the theme 10 days later in letter to parliament. Jan. 20, 2008: Castro is re-elected to parliament, leaving open the possibility he could remain as president. Feb. 19, 2008: Castro resigns as president, saying "it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer. Aug. 7, 2010: Castro addresses the Cuban National Assembly for the first time in four years. In a brief speech and question-and-answer session, the retired leader referred to earlier predictions that the U.S.

and Israel would launch a nuclear attack on Iran, and that the U.S. might also attack North Korea. He urged President Barack Obama to resist pressures toward more war. Sources: NPR research, the Associated Press, PBS American Experience, BBC Castro's Letter of Resignation Email February 19, 20087:17 AM ET Full text of the "Message from the Commander in Chief," a letter from Fidel Castro, posted Tuesday on the Web site of Cuba's Communist Party newspaper Granma. This is a version of the official Cuban translation, edited for clarity. —- Dear compatriots: Last Friday, Feb. 15, I promised you that in my next reflection I would deal with an issue of interest to many compatriots. So this reflection comes in the form of a message. The time has come to nominate and elect the State Council, its president, its vice presidents and its secretary. For many years I occupied the honorable position of president. On Feb. 15, 1976, the Socialist Constitution was approved with the free, direct and secret vote of over 95 percent of eligible voters. The first National Assembly was established on Dec.

2 that same year, and it elected the State Council and its presidency. Before that, I had been a prime minister for almost 18 years. I always had the necessary prerogatives to carry forward the revolutionary work with the support of the overwhelming majority of the people. There were those overseas who, aware of my critical health condition, thought that my provisional resignation, on July 31, 2006, from the position of President of the State Council, which I left to First Vice President Raul Castro Ruz, was permanent. Raul, who is also minister of the Armed Forces because of his personal merits, and the other comrades of the Party and State leadership were unwilling to consider me out of public life despite my precarious health. It was an uncomfortable situation for me vis-a-vis an adversary which had done everything possible to get rid of me (referring to the United States), and I felt reluctant to comply. Later, I was able to recover the full command of my mind and could do much reading and meditation, required by my retreat. I had enough physical strength to write for many hours, which I shared with rehabilitation and recovery programs. Basic common sense indicated to me that such activity was within my reach.

On the other hand, when referring to my health I was extremely careful to avoid raising expectations since I felt that an adverse ending would bring traumatic news to our people in the midst of the battle. Thus, my first duty was to prepare our people both politically and psychologically for my absence after so many years of struggle. I kept saying that my recovery "was not without risks." My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath. That's what I can offer. To my dearest compatriots, who have recently honored me so much by electing me a member of the Parliament where so many agreements should be adopted of utmost importance to the destiny of our Revolution, I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept - I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept - the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief. In short letters addressed to Randy Alonso, Director of the Round Table program on National Television - letters which at my request were made public - I discreetly introduced elements of this message I am writing today, when not even the addressee of such letters was aware of my intention. I trusted Randy because I knew him well from his days as a journalism student.

In those days I met almost on a nearly weekly basis with the main representatives of the university students from the provinces at the library of the large house in Kohly where they lived. Today, the entire country is an immense university. Here are selected paragraphs from the letter sent to Randy on Dec. 17, 2007: "I strongly believe that the answers to the current problems facing Cuban society, which has on average a 12th grade education, almost 1 million university graduates, and real opportunities for its citizens to study without facing discrimination, require more variables for each concrete problem than those contained in a chess game. We cannot ignore a single detail; this is not an easy path to take, if the intelligence of a human being in a revolutionary society is to prevail over instinct. "My elemental duty is not to cling to positions, much less to stand in the way of younger persons, but rather to contribute experience and ideas whose modest value comes from the exceptional era in which I lived. "Like (Brazilian architect Oscar) Niemeyer (who turned 100 on Dec. 15), I believe that one has to be consistent right up to the end." Letter from Jan. 8, 2008: "...

I am a firm supporter of a unified vote (a principle that preserves ignored merits), which allowed us to avoid the tendency to copy what came to us from countries of the former socialist bloc, including the portrait of the one candidate, as singular as his solidarity toward Cuba. I deeply respect that first attempt at building socialism, thanks to which we were able to continue along the path we had chosen." I reiterated in that letter that "... I never forget that all the world's glory fits in a kernel of corn." Therefore, it would be a betrayal of my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer. This I say devoid of all drama. Fortunately, our process can still count on cadres from the old guard and others who were very young in the early days of the Revolution. Some were very young, almost children, when they joined the fight on the mountains and later they filled the country with glory with their heroism and their internationalist missions. They have the authority and the experience to guarantee the replacement. There is also the intermediate generation which learned with us the basics of the complex and almost unattainable art of organizing and leading a revolution. The path will always be difficult and require everyone's intelligent effort.

I distrust the seemingly easy path of apologetics or its antithesis of self-flagellation. We should always be prepared for the worst possibilities. We cannot forget the principle of being as prudent in success as steady in adversity. The adversary to be defeated is extremely strong, but we have been able to keep it at bay for half a century. This is not my farewell to you. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas. I shall continue to write under the title, "Reflections of Comrade Fidel." It will be another weapon you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful. Thank you.

Question: Who was elected President of Cuba in February 2008?
Answer: RAUL CASTRO