Cuba's New President: 57-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel succeeds Raul Castro

World
Europe

02:44

We start in Cuba, and a historic handover of power that effectively ends six decades of Castro rule. Miguel Diaz-Canel has been elected to a five-year term as president, claiming all but one of the 604 votes in the National Assembly.

It's now official, the man hand-picked by President Raul Castro to replace him, 57-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel has become the new president of Cuba.

It marks a historic generational handover. For the first time in decades, Cuba's head of state is not a Castro. But no one is expecting radical changes. In his opening address, Diaz-Canel spoke of continuity.

MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL CUBAN PRESIDENT "The mandate given by the people to this legislature is to continue with the Cuban revolution in this crucial, historic moment."

The outgoing president, Raul Castro, will remain as head of the Communist Party for the next three years. But in his closing address, he announced that when he does step down, Diaz-Canel will replace him.

RAUL CASTRO FORMER CUBAN PRESIDENT "His election has not happened by mere chance. We foresaw among a group that the best one, according to our modest opinion and that of the party, has been comrade Diaz-Canel."

Miguel Diaz-Canel is an electronic engineer by training. He comes from Santa Clara about 300 kilometers from the capital Havana, where he stood as a candidate for this year's National Assembly elections.

In the early 1990's, Diaz-Canel rose to become provincial Communist Party chief, the equivalent of a state governor in the United States.

These were tough times economically following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He built a reputation as a man-of-the-people, giving up his official state car to travel to work by bicycle.

"He was always on a bicycle wearing shorts, Diaz-Canel. Now look what he has achieved, that's the way it is."

In recent years, Diaz-Canel has become a familiar face on the global stage from meetings with China's President Xi Jinping to Russia's President Vladimir Putin both of whom sent their congratulations on Thursday.