Cuba's acting President Raul Castro holds his vote before casting it, to elect the president of Cuba's National Assembly in Havana, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008. Incumbent Ricardo Alarcon is the only candidate. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco,Prensa Latina)
Posted on 02/24/2008 12:19:03 PM PST by NormsRevenge
HAVANA — Nearly 50 years of rule by Fidel Castro ended in Cuba on Sunday as parliament chose his brother Raul to replace him — a transition that leaves the island's communist system unshaken.
The new president proposed consulting with the ailing 81-year-old Fidel on all major decisions of state, and parliament approved the proposal.
The vote came five days after Fidel said he was retiring, capping a career in which he frustrated efforts by 10 U.S. presidents to oust him.
The transition was not likely to bring a major shift in policies of the communist government that have put it at odds with the United States. But many Cubans were hoping it would open the door to modest economic reforms and improvement in their daily lives
Cuba's acting President Raul Castro holds his vote before casting it, to elect the president of Cuba's National Assembly in Havana, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008. Incumbent Ricardo Alarcon is the only candidate. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco,Prensa Latina)
So what is Cuba now, a parlamentary monarchy?
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...
Over 20 years ago, my business spanish professor (who esacped from Cuba), predicted Raul would take over for his brother.
Cuba and the U.S. need Term Limits.
a kinder gentler disctatorship.
a nice gesture, already seen to a small degree recently, would be to release all the political prisoners.
dictatorship
Raul Castro (L) bows his head, as it is being announced that he has been elected president of Cuba, during a meeting of the National Assembly in Havana February 24, 2008, as elected vice-president Juan Almeida sits beside him. Raul Castro has been running Cuba since his brother Fidel was sidelined by illness 19 months ago. REUTERS/Claudia Daut (CUBA)
(Why in hell did we put up with this abortion of a nation 90 miles off our coast for 50 years?)
Wanna bet Fidel really will be on his death bed in a few days?
Can we overthrow Cuba now? It would be nice to see the media to talk about success for us overseas, since they censor it in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I saw that. He said to bring his country into the twenty first century he’s going to start a website. It’s going to be called “ eBay of Pigs”.
I’m shocked. SHOCKED, I tell ya!
Or a few days or weeks ago and they've just been delaying the news to make for a smooth transition.
>>I saw that. He said to bring his country into the twenty first century he’s going to start a website. It’s going to be called “ eBay of Pigs”.<<
I missed that part - that’s funny as heck.
I’m SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell ya.......
ping for future.
What are the odds that Cubans will uprise based on charismatic Fidel being replaced by his uncharismatic brother? Or, as suspect, are they so beaten that they'll take the brother so long as things do not get extraordinarily (for them) oppressive?
Dictators in Cuba come from the same gene pool.
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