Cuba readies for life without Castro

For the first time in more than 60 years, Cuba is poised to have a government without a single Castro.

Raúl Castro, who succeeded his brother Fidel as the Communist Party of Cuba’s first secretary in 2011, is expected to step down from his post as the country begins its eighth Communist Party Congress on Friday.

“We all expect the old generation to step down from all of its functions within the party, including Raúl as first secretary,” said Ricardo Torres Pérez, a professor of economics at University of Havana.

"That in itself is important. It marks the end of an era."

But while an end to the Castro reign is historic, few are convinced the leadership shift will lead to sweeping change for the island nation or its relationship with the U.S.

Castro is expected to leave party leadership in the hands of President Miguel Díaz-Canel, while the rest of the politburo will be filled not with the youngest generation most eager for change, but middle-aged party leaders born in the wake of the revolution.

“This isn’t a dynastic transition — the new leadership, though shaped by the Castro brothers and their legacy, are the next generation of the Cuban Communist Party, not the next generation of the Castro family,” said Geoff Thale, president of the Washington Office on Latin America.

“The generational change is pretty smooth; there aren’t going to be major disagreements or political conflicts at the convention.”

The shift in leadership comes as Cuba has struggled to implement many of the economic reforms agreed to in the 2011 party congress. The COVID-19 pandemic in the last year has also crushed an economy heavily reliant on tourism.