Raul Castro, the autocratic leader of Cuba, announced Friday that he is resigning as the head of the Cuban Communist Party, setting the stage for the first time in 62 years that a Castro will not run the island nation.
According to the Associated Press, the 89-year-old Castro spoke at the opening day of the Communist Party congress, saying he is resigning knowing he “fulfilled his mission and confident in the future of the fatherland.”
Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as president of Cuba in 2008. He stepped down from that position in 2018, yielding the job to Miguel Díaz-Canel, a 60-year-old who’s seen as the heir apparent to Castro as the leader of the nation and represents a generational shift in governance.
“Nothing, nothing, nothing is forcing me to make this decision,” said Castro, part of whose speech to the closed Congress was aired on state television. “As long as I live I will be ready with my foot in the stirrup to defend the homeland, the revolution and socialism with more force than ever.”