Fidel Castro temporarily hands power to his brother Raul
{{date|August 1, 2006}}
[[Image:Fidel Castro5 cropped.JPG|right|thumb|[[Fidel Castro|Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz]]]]{{Audio|Castro-2006-08-01.ogg|2006-08-01}}
President [[Fidel Castro]] of [[Cuba]] has temporarily handed duties, including command of the military forces, to his brother, [[Raúl Castro]]. Fidel Castro is undergoing intestinal surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding, and is temporarily unable to govern. 75-year-old Raúl Castro has been the Vice-President of Cuba and number two in the Communist Party of Cuba. Fidel Castro is 79 years old and has ruled since the 1959 revolution.

The power change was reported on Cuban television Monday night by Carlos Balenciago, Castro's secretary. According to the letter of Castro's that he read, the reason for the operation was stress and the President of Cuba will need to spend several weeks in bed.

Over 70% of Cuba's population was born after Castro's rise to power, who has served as president ever since. It is unknown how the population will react to such an unexpected change. However, a recently signed White House bill has allocated $30 million [[US dollar]]s for the transition to a new Cuban regime in the case of just such an event.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Sources ==
{{sisters
|w|2006 Cuban transfer of duties
}}
== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/08/01/cuba.castro/index.html
|title= Castro hands power to brother during surgery
|author=
|pub=CNN
|date=August 1, 2006
}}
*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=TopNews&storyID=2006-08-01T062400Z_01_N31365302_RTRUKOC_0_US-CUBA-CASTRO.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C2-TopNews-TopNews-2
|title=Castro undergoes surgery
|author=Anthony Boadle
|pub=Reuters
|date=August 1, 2006
}}
*{{source|url=http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_213013403.html
|title=Castro Cedes Power: His Letter To Cuba
|author=
|pub=WFOR
|date=August 1, 2006
}}
*{{source|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14131285/
|title=Castro keeps out of sight after reported surgery
|author=
|pub=NBC
|date=August 1, 2006
}}

== External links ==

*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5233770.stm Text] of the proclaimation read out on Cuban TV by Castro's personal assistant Carlos Manuel Valenciaga on 1 August 2006.

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[[Category:Cuba]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Fidel Castro]]
[[Category:Raúl Castro]]
[[Category:Caribbean]]
[[Category:North America]]

[[de:Machtwechsel auf Kuba: Fidel Castro gibt vorübergehend Regierungsverantwortung ab]]
[[es:Fidel Castro cede temporalmente el poder a su hermano]]
[[it:Fidel Castro ricoverato: i suoi poteri trasferiti al fratello]]
[[pl:Fidel Castro tymczasowo oddaje władzę bratu]]
[[pt:Por causa da doença Fidel Castro delega poderes ao irmão]]
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz
President Fidel Castro of Cuba has temporarily handed duties, including command of the military forces, to his brother, Raúl Castro. Fidel Castro is undergoing intestinal surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding, and is temporarily unable to govern. 75-year-old Raúl Castro has been the Vice-President of Cuba and number two in the Communist Party of Cuba. Fidel Castro is 79 years old and has ruled since the 1959 revolution.

The power change was reported on Cuban television Monday night by Carlos Balenciago, Castro's secretary. According to the letter of Castro's that he read, the reason for the operation was stress and the President of Cuba will need to spend several weeks in bed.

Over 70% of Cuba's population was born after Castro's rise to power, who has served as president ever since. It is unknown how the population will react to such an unexpected change. However, a recently signed White House bill has allocated $30 million US dollars for the transition to a new Cuban regime in the case of just such an event.


de:Machtwechsel auf Kuba: Fidel Castro gibt vorübergehend Regierungsverantwortung ab
es:Fidel Castro cede temporalmente el poder a su hermano
it:Fidel Castro ricoverato: i suoi poteri trasferiti al fratello
pl:Fidel Castro tymczasowo oddaje władzę bratu
Por causa da doença Fidel Castro delega poderes ao irmão
Cuba Politics and conflicts Fidel Castro Raúl Castro Caribbean North America