Raul Castro

Raul Castro is the younger brother of Fidel Castro and the current President of Cuba. Raul Castro assumed the duties and responsibilities of the office on July 31, 2006 due to Fidel Castro's worsening illness.

On March 2, 2009, Raul Castro reorganized the Cuban cabinet, releasing some long-time appointees from his brother and introducing new people into the positions. Among the positions experiencing changes were the Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister. Analysts are uncertain what the changes will mean for Cuba, but say that this is the biggest internal make-over the country has seen in 40 years.CNN: Raul Castro reorganizes Cuban cabinet (March 2, 2009)

In late-January 2009, Castro visited Russia for talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the first visit to the country from a Cuban leader since the end of the Cold War.Al Jazeera: Raul Castro in Moscow for talks

On February 19, 2008 Fidel Castro officially resigned and on February 24, 2008 Raul Castro was elected president. Many analysts, particularly those in the United States, hope that Raul Castro will bring a more moderate voice to Cuban politics. Those who believe the Raul Castro presidency may signal coming reforms point to his support of a blended economic system, modeled after the one in China, that combines elements of capitalism and communism. Critics of Raul Castro point to his past persecutions of political dissents and homosexuals, and predict that his presidency will be marked by either a maintenance of the status quo or a move toward more repressive rule.