In his sixth decade of reign, 81-year-old dictator Fidel Castro announced Tuesday that he will be stepping down as president of Cuba and inserting his brother, Raul, into the position. The announcement is assumed to be primarily due to Castro’s deteriorating health, which may not allow him to assume normal duties.
When asked for comment, President Bush said that he hopes Cuba will embrace a “democratic transition” in the wake of the announcement, but experts predict that such a change s unlikely with Raul in power. Fidel ceded control to his 76-year-old brother in the summer of 2006 while recovering from surgery.
Castro’s controversial reign began with a government overtaking in 1959, and has drawn sharp criticism from the United States ever since for his world views and embrace of communism.
Samuel Lippke recently returned from a trip to Cuba and was kind enough to bring us these photos.
