Will Diascanel, who enjoys The Beatles and jeans, lead Cuba's reform?

Diascanel Elected as Communist Party General Secretary Following Raul Castro
Flexible Diplomacy Expected with US Cooperation... Escaping Economic Crisis Top Priority

On the 19th (local time), at the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba held in Havana, the capital of Cuba, Raul Castro raised the hand of Miguel Diaz-Canel (left), the President of Cuba, immediately after his election as the Party General Secretary was confirmed.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Miguel D?az-Canel has been elected as the new leader to succeed Cuba's Ra?l Castro. With this, the Castro brothers, who had ruled Cuba since leading the Cuban Revolution in 1959, have both stepped down, officially marking the post-Castro era.

On the 19th (local time), the Communist Party of Cuba announced at its 8th Congress that President D?az-Canel was elected as the First Secretary. The First Secretary of the Party is considered the most central power in Cuba's communist system. By holding both the presidency and the position of First Secretary, D?az-Canel has risen to the highest leadership position in Cuba.

Starting with Fidel Castro, the main figure of the 1959 Cuban Revolution, and in 2008 when his younger brother Ra?l Castro took over the Chairmanship of the Council of State from him, the Castro brothers' dominance has been firmly maintained for a total of 62 years.

Earlier, Ra?l Castro announced on the 16th that he would step down from the position of First Secretary. Castro said, "We will hand over power to a younger generation," adding, "The new leader must be full of passion and armed with an anti-imperialist spirit." Ra?l Castro had held the position of First Secretary since 2011. Currently, D?az-Canel is 60 years old, nearly 30 years younger than Ra?l Castro, who is 89.

The New Generation Who Enjoys Wearing Jeans, D?az-Canel

The reason Ra?l Castro nominated D?az-Canel as the next leader was because he believed D?az-Canel would carry on the Castro spirit. Born in 1960 in a working-class family in Santa Clara, central-west Cuba, the year after the Cuban Revolution, he joined the Communist Party of Cuba from a young age and was one of the most passionate supporters of Castro. In his early twenties, he joined the Communist Party youth organization in Santa Clara city, and after being appointed First Secretary of the Party in Villa Clara Province in 1994, he was also appointed Minister of Higher Education in 2009.

Miguel Diaz-Canel Wearing Jeans
Photo by Diaz-Canel Twitter

Since D?az-Canel was born after the Cuban Revolution and is effectively considered part of the post-revolution generation, analyses suggest he has a more moderate stance compared to Castro. Known for liking The Beatles' music?which is virtually taboo in Cuba?and frequently wearing jeans, he is recognized as a symbolic figure representing the new generation after the Castro era. Unlike Castro, a former military general who often wears military uniforms, D?az-Canel only served in the military during his mandatory service period, highlighting a contrast. The scene at the 19th Congress where Castro, dressed in military uniform, raised the hand of D?az-Canel, who was wearing a suit, was also interpreted as illustrating this contrast.

D?az-Canel is expected to pursue a more flexible foreign policy, leaving room for cooperation with the United States. Previously, on November 8th, shortly after President Joe Biden's victory speech, D?az-Canel tweeted, "I respect the decision of the American people," and expressed hope "to build a constructive bilateral relationship between Cuba and the United States."

President Joe Biden of the United States [Photo by AP]

Challenges Including Economic Crisis Ahead

However, the challenges facing D?az-Canel are by no means easy. The socialist policies that have continued for over half a century have acted as a constraint on national economic growth, and especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began last year, the outlook for future economic growth is not bright.

According to the Cuban government, Cuba's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate recorded -11% over the past year. This contraction is even greater than the -7.7% economic contraction predicted for the Latin American region in 2020 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Additionally, the fact that the U.S. White House has stated that the Cuba issue is not a top priority on its diplomatic agenda is expected to make efforts to reset relations with the United States more difficult for D?az-Canel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.