2006–2008 Cuban transfer of presidential duties

The 2006 Cuban transfer of presidential duties is a transfer of duties of the Cuban presidency from Fidel Castro to the first vice president, his brother Raúl Castro, following Fidel's illness. The transfer of duties is in line with Article 94 of the Cuban Constitution, which states "In cases of the absence, illness or death of the president of the Council of State, the first vice president assumes the president’s duties". Fidel Castro has been in power since 1959 and is 80 years old.

File:Granma 1 agosto 06.jpg

Cover of Granma, 1 August 2006, containing the proclamation.

Illness

President Fidel Castro was present at the 53rd anniversary of the assault on Moncada Barracks on July 26 2006, stating that the "days and nights of continuous work, almost without sleep took its toll on my health, put me under extreme stress and my health was affected". Prior to that, Castro had just returned from a visit to a Mercosur summit in Córdoba, Argentina, where he confronted a large group of journalists over the issue of providing a visa for Cuban dissident Dr. Hilda Molina, and visited Che Guevara's childhood home. On July 31, a proclamation was made transferring control of the responsibilities and functions of the government to Castro's brother, Raúl. Fidel Castro was subsequently hospitalized because of what the Cuban government said was gastrointestinal bleeding, which it attributed to stress. Later, a message the Cuban government said was from Castro, saying that his health was stable, was read on state television.

On August 7, Cuban intellectual and government member, Roberto Fernández Retamar, further fueled speculation of Castro's ultimate demise by saying at a news conference, "They (U.S. Government) had not expected that a peaceful succession was possible. A peaceful succession has taken place in Cuba."

On August 13, Castro's 80th birthday, the Cuban government released a statement it attributed to Castro which read: "I ask you all to be optimistic, and at the same time to be ready to face any adverse news... For all those who care about my health, I promise I'll fight for it." The government also released photos showing Castro using a telephone and posing with a recent Granma edition dated 12 august.

On August 14, the Cuban television channels showed a six-minute clip of Hugo Chávez visiting Castro.

Announcement

The transfer of duties was announced in a proclamation read on state television at 9:15 PM by Castro's secretary, Carlos Valenciaga, and subsequently repeated. The proclamation appeared on the Granma website that night and was printed in Cuba's national newspaper Granma, the next day. In his statement of delegation, Castro stated: "the operation has obliged me to take various weeks of rest, at a remove from my responsibilities and duties". The proclamation transferred to his brother the functions as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, Comandante of the Armed Forces, President of the Council of State and of the Government of the Republic of Cuba. It transferred other functions to José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera, José Ramón Machado Ventura, Esteban Lazo Hernández and Carlos Lage Dávila. Castro ended the letter with his customary pronouncements: "Imperialism will never be able to crush Cuba. The Battle of Ideas will continue advancing. ¡Viva la Patria! ¡Viva la Revolución! ¡Viva el Socialismo! ¡Hasta la Victoria Siempre!". Castro also spoke to the Guayasamín Foundation, whose responsibilities included organizing his oncoming 80th birthday celebrations on August 13 2006. He requested that the group postpone the anniversary until December 2 2006, the 50th anniversary of the Granma Landing.

Reaction in Cuba

In the days following Castro's operation, Cuban religious leaders publicly called for prayers of assistance for Castro. Archbishop of Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega and Cuba's Bishops Conference issued a statement calling on the island's Catholics to pray for Castro's recovery. Alfredo Trujillo Pena, a babalawo (priest of the Santeria faith), echoed the hopes for Castro's recovery."

Elián González, the schoolboy at the centre of an international custody battle in 2000 with family members in the United States, stated in a letter to Castro: "We send you this letter to let you know that we are worried about your health, We hope for your speedy recovery and take the opportunity to wish you a happy birthday, may you have many more."

Reaction in the Americas

See also: Foreign relations of Cuba

Caribbean

Along with well wishes from many leaders from around the world, the prime minister of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Denzil Douglas wished the "political legend" Castro a swift recovery on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Douglas was unwavering in his support, saying, "At this challenging time for the people of Cuba, we of Caricom want them to know that we wish for President Fidel Castro a successful recovery, and soon. He has proven to be a great friend of the Caribbean and of all poor and developing countries struggling for a better life for their peoples."

Douglas also warned against trying to create instability during the transition, adding that "We in CARICOM sincerely hope that as President Castro...recovers, and acting President Raúl Castro takes on the very demanding responsibilities as Head of State, that there would be no adventurism on the part of any and from whatever quarter, to create problems for the Cuban people..." [1], [2], [3], [4]

Thereafter Saint Lucia's Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony also issued a series of well wishes for his Cuban counter-part. Dr. Anthony[5] said he was just as surprised as the Cuban people and the rest of the world by the sudden news of President Castro's illness. But, he added, he was "also confident that he is receiving the best medical care in the world, because the quality of health care in Cuba is exceedingly good and I'm sure he is being given the very best medical care. In his press release the Saint Lucian Prime Minister also said, "The Cabinet of Ministers, and indeed the people of Saint Lucia, have much admiration for the Cuban President and his personal interest in making humanitarian and social assistance available to Saint Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean, especially in the fields of health and education."

United States

See also: Cuba-United States relations

On July 31, just hours prior to the announcement of Castro's condition, U.S. President George W. Bush told WAQI-AM, a Spanish-language radio station in Miami, "If Fidel Castro were to move on because of natural causes, we've got a plan in place to help the people of Cuba understand there's a better way than the system in which they've been living under. No one knows when Fidel Castro will move on. In my judgment, that's the work of the Almighty." On August 2, Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah) said President Bush told him the administration was surprised by the announcement of Castro's illness, "The president's comment was that everybody was caught by surprise, and we'll have to wait and see what U.S. action is necessary. I think all of us can say we had no idea this was coming."

Senators met in Washington, D.C. to discuss "A Democratic Cuba After Castro", as many senators argued that the United States should have a plan in case the United States would need to offer any help to Cuba during a transfer of duties.

Cuban-American Senator Mel Martinez has stated that he and many other Cuban-Americans regard Raúl Castro as a temporary figure and not someone who can lead Cuba into the future. This, of course, assumes that President Castro will in fact not return to power, a notion that cannot yet be confirmed.

There were celebrations among the large Cuban-American population of Miami, Florida, Jersey City, New Jersey, and several other smaller Cuban exile communities throughout the US opposed to the Cuban Revolution.

On August 3, 2006, the White House released the following statement.

The United States is actively monitoring the situation in Cuba following the announcement of a transfer of power. At this time of uncertainty in Cuba, one thing is clear: The United States is absolutely committed to supporting the Cuban people’s aspirations for democracy and freedom. We have repeatedly said that the Cuban people deserve to live in freedom. I encourage all democratic nations to unite in support of the right of the Cuban people to define a democratic future for their country. I urge the Cuban people to work for democratic change on the island. We will support you in your effort to build a transitional government in Cuba committed to democracy, and we will take note of those, in the current Cuban regime, who obstruct your desire for a free Cuba. In the event of a transition in the Cuban government, we stand ready to provide humanitarian assistance as needed to help the Cuban people. It has long been the hope of the United States to have a free, independent, and democratic Cuba as a close friend and neighbor. In achieving this, the Cuban people can count on the full and unconditional support of the United States.

Latin America

President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez and President of Bolivia Evo Morales both made statements of support for Castro's recovery. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president and a long-time friend of Castro, said "Cubans alone should decide on a possible presidential successor. The succession process is a decision the Cuban people will have to take".

Numerous Latin American publications, including Peru's La República, and Bolivia's La Razón, ran front-page articles about the event, featuring pictures of a frail-looking Castro, head in hand. Others, such as Mexico City's La Crónica de Hoy and El Sol de México, focused on the bond between Castro and his brother Raúl, the former showing a picture of the two walking together, the latter a picture of an elderly Fidel with arm held aloft by Raúl.

Many segments of the Latin American press have viewed this as an event of extraordinary magnitude. For instance, a headline in Peru's La República declared Castro's cessation of duties to be "the end of an era", while Venezuela's El Universal said the event was "unprecedented in 47 years of power."

On August 5, the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo reported that Cuban authorities had informed Brazilian president Lula da Silva that Castro's health was much worse than what the Cuban government had previously admitted in public. According to the report, Castro is actually suffering from intestinal cancer and will be unable to resume control of the Cuban state. The Brazilian government quickly denied that the report was accurate. Folha's editors responded to the government's denials by saying their sources were aides to the president.

See also

• Politics of Cuba