Today Raul Castro was chosen to succeed his older brother Fidel Castro as Cuba's new president. Cuba's National Assembly, the 614 member legislature confirmed the 31 members of the Council of State and selected Raul as President. Previously the 76 year old Raul had been the country's defense minister, but he has had additonal powers since 2006 when Fidel first entered the hospital for intestinal surgery. Despite saying that he would be would transition the country to "a better form of socialism and...toward a more democratic society," Raul basically created the Cuban army and has been its leader for the past fifty years. Therefore the truth behind these statements remains in question. Still, many U.S. politicians view this as a positive change. The Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Joe Biden believes that the U.S. should consider opening relaitons with Cuba, and others, such as Republican Policy Committee Chair Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison agree. Biden has even spoken about lifting the embargo on the condition that Cuba address the situation of political prisoners as well as other problems under the Castro administration.
Do you think Raul's administration will be a positive change for Cuba, or do you feel that he will simply follow in his brother's footsteps?
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I don't quite understand Raul when he says "a better form of socialsim...and toward a more democratic society." It sounds a little contradictory. Is he trying to recreate a new socialism or is he transitioning to a democratic society. It's one or the other. Also, it's a no-brainer to me that that the U.S. should open relations with Cuba. The United States should be trying to open relations with any country to try and make friends, not enemies. As far as the question that Erika asks, I think that there will be no dramatic, significant changes to the Cuban regime. Raul will probably change a few things but continue to rule like his bro.
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