Cuba: Miguel Díaz-Canel Confirmed As President

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel will stay in workplace for an additional 5 years. Within the constituent session of the brand new Nationwide Meeting, the 62-year-old was confirmed for an additional time period.

The primary head of state of the socialist Caribbean state after the Castro period obtained 97.66 % of the votes within the Nationwide Meeting, in response to the social gathering newspaper “Granma” – he obtained 459 out of 460 legitimate votes.

The primary non-Castro president since 1959

In 2018, Díaz-Canel turned the primary ruler after the 1959 revolution whose identify was not Castro to grow to be the pinnacle of state. His predecessor, the 91-year-old Raúl Castro, whose right-hand man he was, had relinquished energy. In 2021, Díaz-Canel additionally took over from Castro as first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Get together – the one authorized social gathering within the island nation.

In line with Cuba‘s present structure, which went into impact in 2019, a president can not serve greater than two phrases in a row – so Díaz-Canel is predicted to finish in 2028.

Raúl Castro’s brother Fidel Castro, who died in 2016, dominated the nation for nearly 50 years after the revolution. The Nationwide Meeting, Cuba’s solely parliamentary chamber, was elected in March.

Nation experiences provide shortages and inflation

Within the election, 470 candidates, beforehand checked by the electoral fee, ran for as many parliamentary seats and with out opposition challengers. All obtained the required majority of votes – Raúl Castro additionally remained a member of parliament. The Nationwide Meeting elects the President and Vice-President from amongst its ranks – the results of the election was thus clear.

Díaz-Canel’s largest challenges are excessive inflation and shortages of meals, medication and electrical energy, in addition to United States sanctions. Just lately, quite a few Cubans had tried to to migrate to the USA or different international locations.

Cuba’s President Díaz-Canel stays in workplace

There is just one social gathering in Cuba’s parliament – and head of state Miguel Díaz-Canel has now confirmed it in workplace for an additional 5 years. He guarantees a combat towards excessive inflation. However his document is poor.

Cuba isn’t about to vary course in the meanwhile: President Miguel Díaz-Canel was elected to a second time period by the one-party parliament on Wednesday. His candidacy was accepted with 97.66 % of the vote, stated Parliament Speaker Esteban Lazo. Díaz-Canel was the one candidate.

The 62-year-old took over the reins within the Caribbean island state after the top of the Castro period. His first 5 years as President had been formed by the corona pandemic and the ensuing worst financial disaster within the final 30 years.

2021 noticed the biggest anti-government protests for the reason that Cuban revolution of 1959. The federal government reacted with a heavy hand: In line with human rights organizations, one particular person died, dozens had been injured and greater than 1,300 had been arrested. Since then, increasingly more Cubans have left the nation. In 2022 alone there have been greater than 300,000.

Díaz-Canel desires to combat inflation – critics complain concerning the lack of reforms

In line with the AP information company, Díaz-Canel introduced that he wished to focus “instantly” on meals manufacturing and elevated exports. Curbing inflation – which is at the moment round 40 % in response to official figures – can be a precedence.

The Cuban Structure permits the President to serve solely two consecutive phrases. Since 2021, Díaz-Canel has additionally been the primary secretary of the Communist Get together of Cuba, a very powerful publish within the nation lengthy held by revolutionary chief Fidel Castro after which his brother Raul.

In line with the AP, critics accuse Díaz-Canel of losing alternatives for political and financial change early in his first time period. In 2016, after round 60 years of uninterrupted rule, Díaz-Canel changed the Castro brothers on the head of state.