A Military Man as President

Abstract

With the illness of President Fidel Castro, announced on July 31, 2006, Raúl Castro was, as expected, named interim president and head of a small group that was to guide the country until Fidel resumed office. That day was not to come and Fidel resigned formally as head of state, although not as comandante en jefe, in February 2008, making way for Raúl’s formal election as president in his own right at the end of that month. Raúl, who had by all accounts been looking forward some day to retirement and spending more time with his four children and eight grandchildren, once more took on added responsibilities rather than lesser ones because the Revolution needed him and his capacities at a difficult time.