End of season: Raul Castro surrenders to Cuban Communist Party

THE Raul Castro confirmed his resignation from the Communist Party Bucket, 60 years after the declaration of the socialist character of the Cuban revolution by his brother, Fidel Castro. He made the development known during his speech at the 8th congress of the party.

The conference is being held in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, behind closed doors, and will last for four days. For 89-year-old Raul Castro, this “historic date” will be his last in his leadership Party whose reins will be taken over by a new generation, after his own departure.

Unlike previous conferences, television had not broadcast footage until late in the morning. Only a few photos and videos were uploaded by the dropper to social networking sites or state media websites.

One of them showed hundreds of PCC delegates standing, applauding Raul Castro as he entered the room, wearing his military uniform as usual. Instead, his successor, President Miguel Dias-Canel, 60, wore a plain white shirt.

In his opening speech, excerpts of which were broadcast a little later on television, Castro confirmed that he is handing over leadership to the younger generation, which – as he said – is governed by “passion and anti-imperialist spirit”, but at the same time has “decades of experience”.

“I strongly believe in the strength and exemplary nature and understanding of my compatriots and, as long as I live, I will be ready, walking on the procrastinators, to defend the homeland, the revolution and socialism,” he assured, according to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency. .

Dias-Canel, who took over the presidency of the country in 2018, will be the first civilian to head the Party. A new first secretary is expected to be elected on Monday, the last day of the conference. In a post on Twitter, he stressed that the “guidelines” are not going to change.

“The party is the guarantee of national unity and the synthesis of the ideals of dignity, social justice and independence of the generations of patriots who preceded ours and those who defended us all these years of struggle and victory,” he said. Jose Ramon Matsado Ventura, 90, the “number 2” of the party, who is also leaving.

As he said, he leaves “convinced that we will remain faithful to the legacy of our martyrs and to the example of Fidel and Raoul.”

After Fidel’s death in 2016, with Raoul’s departure, a historic page turns for the island and its inhabitants, most of whom have not met any other leadership.

“Raoul will no longer be the leader of the party, but if there is a problem, Raoul will be there, he is not dead,” said Ramon Blade, 84, a communist militant wearing a mask protecting himself from the new coronavirus.

According to the official media, after paying tribute to Fidel, Raoul presented to the delegates the main report of the conference, in which he denounced the “economic war” waged by the USA, especially during the four-year presidency of Donald Trump, who strengthened the embargo against Cuba, which has been in place since 1962. He also called for a “respectful” dialogue between Cuba and the United States, but “without denouncing socialism.”

“I reaffirm at this party congress our willingness to start a dialogue, a new form of relations with the United States, without pretending that, in order to achieve this, Cuba will renounce the principles of revolution and socialism,” he said. .