(Left) Raúl Castro and (right) Cuba's New President Miguel Díaz-Canel Miguel Díaz-Canel has been sworn in as Cuba's new president, replacing Raúl Castro who took over from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006. It is the first time since the revolution in 1959 that a Castro is not at the helm of the Government.
Mr Díaz-Canel had been serving as first vice-president for the past five years. Even though Mr Díaz-Canel was born after the revolution, he is a staunch ally of Raúl Castro and is not expected to make any radical changes. There was "no room in Cuba for those who strive for the restoration of capitalism" he said in his inaugural address. In his first speech as President on Thursday, Díaz-Canel emphasized continuity with the past, and an important and ongoing political role for retiring Cuban president Raúl Castro, 86, who will remain at the helm of the Communist Party of Cuba. “The mandate given by the people to this legislature is the continuity of the revolution,” said Díaz-Canel, who turns 58 on Friday. “The revolution continues and will continue to be alive.” The new president said he shared the conviction of all Cubans to be faithful to the legacy of the late Fidel Castro, and the example of his brother Raúl. A sustained standing ovation greeted Díaz-Canel and Castro as they entered Havana’s Convention Palace together, just before Díaz-Canel was confirmed by the National Assembly of People’s Power as the new president.
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