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What Will Raul Do Next? track this thread

Started by HeadmasterWG; Last updated by K Schwartz | View history

What Will Raul Do Next?

Raul Castro seems to be bringing reform to the small Communist country. But is it all smoke and mirrors?

Stories

Stories 21 - 38 of 38

  • February 2008
    • Fidel Looking Forward to 'Vacation'

      Fidel Looking Forward to 'Vacation'

      (Newser) - Fidel can't wait to retire. The soon-to-be-former dictator published a new newspaper column today, telling Cuba he was relieved to be rid of his exhausting presidential duties. “The night before, I slept better than ever,” Castro wrote. But he couldn’t give up his newspaper gig because, “I didn't have the right to keep silent for so long.” More »

    • Dems Square Off in Texas

      Dems Square Off in Texas

      (Newser) - Hillary Clinton tonight declared that "actions speak louder than words" as she sought to stem Barack Obama's political momentum in a Texas debate. She razzed him for using another politician's words in recent speeches—calling it "change you can Xerox"—and called his health plan inadequate. Obama objected to the "let's get real" theme of Cllnton's overall message, saying it implied that his millions of supporters are "delusional." More »

    • Steely Raúl's Time Is Now

      Steely Raúl's Time Is Now

      (Newser) - The Castro brothers overthrew a dictatorship and won a revolution together, but while charismatic Fidel was the public face giving passionate seven-hour speeches, steely Raúl quietly got it done—ruthlessly sending dissenters to the firing squad, earning him the nickname "the Prussian." As Fidel fades, writes the Times of London, 76-year-old Raúl will finally step into the spotlight. More »

    • Fidel Faithful Likely to Keep Power

      Fidel Faithful Likely to Keep Power

      (Newser) - Life went on as normal in Havana after Fidel Castro announced his resignation yesterday, and Cuba experts aren't sure how much real impact his decision will have, the New York Times reports. Cuba's National Assembly is due to choose a new Council of State on Sunday and power is expected to remain in the hands of Castro's inner circle. More »

    • South Florida Quiet After Castro Resigns

      South Florida Quiet After Castro Resigns

      (Newser) - Few South Florida Cubans bothered to celebrate Fidel Castro's retirement today, the Miami Herald reports. Exile leaders dismissed the power shift to Castro's brother Raul as politics as usual for the island nation. "Just because he has given up a title, doesn't mean he has given up power,'' lawmaker Mario Diaz-Balart said. More »

    • Fidel Steps Down After 50 Years

      Fidel Steps Down After 50 Years

      (Newser) - Fidel Castro has resigned after nearly 50 years as Cuba's leader, the AP reports. "I neither will aspire to, nor will I accept, the position of president of the council of state and commander in chief," the 81-year-old wrote in a letter published in the Communist Party's online paper today. His brother Raul is widely expected to succeed him as president. More »

  • January 2008
    • Cuba's Underground Housing Boom

      Cuba's Underground Housing Boom

      (Newser) - A  booming black market in real estate is operating in Cuba, even though the government owns most property. Prices are soaring as property changes hands in a complex, illegal system called permuta, reports the New York Times. Housing swaps are permitted in Cuba, with government approval; permuta involves trading up or down, with illegal cash payments on the side. More »

    • Brazil Prez: Fidel 'Healthy, Lucid'

      Brazil Prez: Fidel 'Healthy, Lucid'

      (Newser) - After meeting with Fidel Castro, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said yesterday the 81-year-old leader was "incredibly lucid," healthy, and "ready to assume his political role in Cuba and the role he has in history." Lula met earlier with Raul Castro, who has been running the country since his brother's stomach surgery in 2006. More »

  • December 2007
    • Fidel Flirts With Retiring —Again

      Fidel Flirts With Retiring —Again

      (Newser) - Fidel Castro is hinting at retirement again, this time in a letter read aloud to Cuba's parliament yesterday by his brother Raul, the BBC reports. The letter expanded on a much-discussed comment he made last week about not "clinging to power."  This time he admits that he had once longed to do so, from "excessive youth and lack of conscience," but said life had changed him. More »

    • Fidel's Fit to Run for Re-election

      Fidel's Fit to Run for Re-election

      (Newser) - Fidel Castro is gaining weight, exercising regularly, has "full use of his mental faculties," and is running for re-election, says his brother Raúl. Raúl was stumping for Fidel yesterday in his electoral district of Santiago de Cuba, where he needs to be reelected to the National Assembly Jan. 20 in order to remain president, AP reports. More »

    • Fidel Hints He's Ready to Retire

      Fidel Hints He's Ready to Retire

      (Newser) - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro has clearly hinted at retirement for the first time since he fell ill 16 months ago, Reuters reports. He handed over power to his brother Raul last year on a temporary basis. "My elemental duty is not to hold on to positions and less to obstruct the path of younger people," Castro said in a letter read on Cuban state TV. More »

  • November 2007