Cuban President Raul Castro unexpectedly announced on Friday his possible resignation due to his advanced age, despite the fact that he is set to be re-elected to the presidency on Sunday.
-I will resign. I have turned 82 years old and I have the right to retire. Don’t you think so?- Castro replied to reporters with a laugh during a ceremony where he toured a Soviet military cemetery in Havana alongside Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The Cuban leader did not specify when he might step down from his position.
When asked by reporters about the speech he would deliver on Sunday after the re-election, Raul Castro did not want to discuss details: -It would not be right to speak in advance- he told reporters, stating that the ‘speech will be interesting’ and that they should definitely follow it.
Raul Castro was elected to the presidency in 2008, succeeding his brother Fidel, who stepped down from power for health reasons. He has previously stated that he would like to limit executive positions, including the presidency, to two terms. Following this, speculation began that his next term could be his last. Specifically, Raul Castro will be 86 years old in 2018 when his term ends.
