Cuba's legislative body has extended its term to April of 2018, delaying President Raul Castro's historic transfer of power. The aging leader's departure will mark the end of six decades of rule under the Castro family.
Image: Getty Images/A. Roque
Advertisement
The Cuban National Assembly announced on Thursday that it was extending its legislative period to April 18, 2018. The move effectively changes the end date of Cuban president Raul Castro's tenure.
US-Cuba relations under Trump
01:36
This browser does not support the video element.
The decision was made due to the "exceptional situation" created by Hurricane Irma's impact on the island this September, which caused significant infrastructure damage and left ten people dead.
When Castro began his second term as president in 2013, he pledged that it would be his last. The leader said he would retire at the end of the current legislative period, which was initially slated to end on February 24, 2018. The new timeline delays the historic transition of presidential power by two months.
General elections for the National Assembly typically follow the expiration of the legislative period. Cubans will elect the 600 members of the legislative body, which will then select the powerful 31-member Council of State, whose leader will become the next president.
Castro's departure would likely see the first non-Castro family member lead the island nation since the Cuban Revolution of 1959.
In 2008, Raul's older brother Fidel Castro stepped down due to health issues and designated him as a successor. Fidel passed away in November 2015.
New restrictions for US travelers to Cuba
01:43
This browser does not support the video element.
Under Raul Castro's tenure, the country undertook a series of domestic reforms that included the spread of internet and cellphone access, freedom to travel for most Cubans, modest openings in the domestic economy and the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States under former President Barack Obama.
No candidate has yet been announced to succeed the Castro legacy, but analysts point to First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who was born a year after the revolution and has kept a low profile, as the probable successor.
After Castro: A snapshot from Cuba
Still reeling from the death of Fidel Castro, Cubans try to hold on to the ideals espoused by the revolutionary leader. Meanwhile, increased tourism and warming relations with the US are affecting their way of life.
Image: Mauro Pimentel
Afternoon on the Prado Promenade
At the Paseo del Prado, beside the central square, hotels line the streets. El Capitolio, the seat of the government until the Cuban Revolution in 1959, has now become a place for social gatherings, where Cubans meet each other to exchange gossip and play games.
Image: Mauro Pimentel
New Cuban fighters
Children have their first lesson in Cuban boxing during a training session at Rafael Trejo Boxing School in the Habana Vieja neighborhood.
Image: Mauro Pimentel
The florist of Vedado
"The Cuban government made my dream to be a nurse and help people a reality," said Mirta Gomez, a retired nurse. Before the revolution, educational opportunities in Cuba were reserved for the elite. Once Castro came into power, Gomez was able to study nursing. She spent most of her career at Havana's Central Hospital. She still helps out and trains new nurses. Her new hobby is selling flowers.
Image: Mauro Pimentel
Cuba rising
Across Havana, buildings are being renovated to make way for the return of American tourism. As the government authorizes certain private business, hotels and restaurants are leading the construction boom. This building will be a group of "casas particulieres," similar to a bed and breakfast, in the Vedado neighborhood. Cubans need to apply for a license to rent rooms in their homes to foreigners.
Image: Mauro Pimentel
The reader
Francisco Arrosa, 75, reads Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, as he waits for new clients. "We are socialists. What Fidel and the Revolution started, the Cuban people will keep," the car mechanic said. "We may not be wealthy, but every Cuban has access to food, education, healthcare, and housing. These things are the revolution."
Image: Mauro Pimentel
Havana for beginners
Tourists take photos from an old American car driving through Plaza Central. With the decades-long US embargo, vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s were the only option for Cubans for many years. Now, Korean, Chinese, and some European brands are entering the island's market. The old cars continue to be used as taxis or for tourism.
Image: Mauro Pimentel
The internet generation
Along one of Havana's most popular boardwalks, Cubans can check their e-mail or read government-approved websites. In 2015, the Cuban government opened the first public wi-fi hotspots in 35 public locations. However, the internet is one of the most censored in the world and essentially unavailable in private homes.
Image: Mauro Pimentel
Keeping the story alive
Canadians make up the largest percentage of Cuba's tourists, but with the resumption of flights and cruise ships from the US, the number of US visitors is expected to surge this year.
Image: Mauro Pimentel
Fishermen of Malacon
As an island nation, fishing plays an important role in Cuban culture, including in its cuisine. Generation after generation have made their livelihood on the practice and fish is one of Cuba's biggest exports. US tourism companies already have their eyes on the country's pristine coastal waters.
