Fidel Castro resigns as President and Commander in Chief of Cuba Comments (1) Email this to a Friend Printable Version The Cuban President Fidel Castro has finally resigned as leader of the country and the commander in chief of the army. Laterst reports say he has handed over to his brother Raul. In a statement issued to a Cuban newspaper he said he would not be returning to the Presidency.
Castro has not been seen in public for 18 months since he underwent emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006.Born into a wealthy landowning family, he turned to Marxism because of the poverty he saw around him in Cuba. He came to international prominence in 1959 when, along with Che Guevara, he led the uprising which overthrew the corrupt government of President Fulgencio Batista, who had turned Cuba into a decadent playground for America's rich.
Promising to give the land back to the people, he received the backing of the Soviet Union, driving a wedge between Cuba and the US that has never been removed. In April 1961 the US tried to topple the Castro government by recruiting a private army of Cuban exiles to invade the island.
At the Bay of Pigs, Cuban troops repulsed the invaders, killing many and capturing 1,000.As money flowed from the Kremlin the Caribbean island became a cold war battleground.But it was not just cash that headed west to Cuba from the Soviet Union.In 1962 US reconnaissance planes discovered Soviet missiles on their way to sites in Cuba and the world stood on the brink of an apocalyptic nuclear war.
It was Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev who blinked first, turning his weapon-laden ships around.The Cuban missile crisis confirmed Castro, in American eyes, as the enemy in their own back yard.The CIA tried to assassinate him on many occasions - one plan involved filling his much-loved cigars with explosives.The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1980s meant the financial plug was pulled on Castro.
Still blockaded by the US, conditions in Cuba deteriorated, with food and fuel shortages and an economy in ruins.Soon thousands of Cubans were fleeing to Florida in makeshift rafts, hoping for a better life in the arms of Castro's arch-enemy.
He did however bring about real change in Cuba with free health care for all and one of the highest literacy rates in the world. And his ability to needle the Americans has never diminished.Castro's brother Raul is his designated successor, but many observers believe Cuba's communist state will not outlive the man who has divided international opinion for almost half a century.
Posted on: Tuesday, 19, February, 2008 Source: Skynews Bookmark this story with: Post Your Comments Name ( required ) Location (eg. Kumasi) ( required ) Subject Click to View Comments (1) >>
Fidel Castro, the Cuban president who seized power in a 1959 revolution, has stated in a quote in Cuba's state-run newspaper ''Granma'' that when the National Assembly of Cuba meets on February 24 he "will not aspire to or accept... the positions of President of Council of State and Commander in Chief."

81-year-old Castro handed over control to his 76-year-old brother Raúl when he underwent surgery in July 2006. "It would betray my conscience to take up a responsibility that requires mobility and total devotion, that I am not in a physical condition to offer," Castro explained.

United States President George W. Bush said, "I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition."  Although, John Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State, said that this does not mean that the 1962 trade embargo will be lifted "any time soon."

European Union said that it hopes to improve relations with Cuba, which were almost at a standstill under Castro. Spokesperson John Clancy said the EU is willing to engage with Cuba in constructive dialogue to foster a peaceful transition to pluralistic democracy in Cuba.

China said it will maintain its current cooperation with Cuba and termed Fidel Castro an old friend. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Vietnam similarly praised Castro as a great friend and comrade.

BBC reports that Raúl Castro is seen by analysts as the likely choice as successor by the National Assembly, though some see 56-year-old Carlos Lage Dávila as potential candidate. Lage is currently Vice-President and Executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers.

The decision is scheduled for February 24, 2008.