King Raul Picks Two Key Men
more important than today's "election" of Raul Castro as Cuba's official leader (everybody knew that was coming) is who else got "elected" along with him.
Jose Ramon Machado Ventura was elected as First Vice President (the position Raul held while Castro was President of the Council). According to GlobalSecurity.org, Machado is largely seen as Raul Castro's right-hand man. Born in 1930, Machado is known in Cuba as a "historico" or a member of the original Cuban Revolution against the Batista government. Machado was trained as a physician and cared for members of Castro's rebel army.
Machado's pick as First Vice President signifies both a continuation of the "old guard" in key roles (as opposed to opening the top layers of power to new blood) and a clear signal that Raul continues to maneuver his people into key positions.
the others "elected" to Vice Presidential spots are Juan Almeida Bosque, Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, Carlos Lage Dávila, Esteban Lazo Hernández y Julio Casas Regueiro. All of these, except for Casas Regueiro were already Vice Presidents in the Council.
Julio Casas Regueiro is the only new Vice President to the Council. As the only newcomer, it is significant that he is so closely associated with Raul Castro. Casas Regueiro is a General in the Army, and the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) (Raul Castro is the Minister). Casas Regueiro is also in charge of GAE S.A., which is the holding company for the commercial activities belonging to MINFAR. It manages much of Cuba's lucrative tourist industry (such as the company Gaviota) along with agriculture, import-export businesses, retail stores, and other enterprises. In other words, he is the consummate Raul insider.
the "elections" today are consistent with Raul's positioning of men loyal to him into key positions since Fidel became ill. they are also consistent with his slow approach to change rather than a wholesale turning over at the top levels of the Council.
another signal of how smooth this transition is supposed to be is that José Miyar Barrueco, a long time Fidel aide, will continue on as the Council Secretary.
Jose Ramon Machado Ventura was elected as First Vice President (the position Raul held while Castro was President of the Council). According to GlobalSecurity.org, Machado is largely seen as Raul Castro's right-hand man. Born in 1930, Machado is known in Cuba as a "historico" or a member of the original Cuban Revolution against the Batista government. Machado was trained as a physician and cared for members of Castro's rebel army.
Machado's pick as First Vice President signifies both a continuation of the "old guard" in key roles (as opposed to opening the top layers of power to new blood) and a clear signal that Raul continues to maneuver his people into key positions.
the others "elected" to Vice Presidential spots are Juan Almeida Bosque, Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, Carlos Lage Dávila, Esteban Lazo Hernández y Julio Casas Regueiro. All of these, except for Casas Regueiro were already Vice Presidents in the Council.
Julio Casas Regueiro is the only new Vice President to the Council. As the only newcomer, it is significant that he is so closely associated with Raul Castro. Casas Regueiro is a General in the Army, and the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) (Raul Castro is the Minister). Casas Regueiro is also in charge of GAE S.A., which is the holding company for the commercial activities belonging to MINFAR. It manages much of Cuba's lucrative tourist industry (such as the company Gaviota) along with agriculture, import-export businesses, retail stores, and other enterprises. In other words, he is the consummate Raul insider.
the "elections" today are consistent with Raul's positioning of men loyal to him into key positions since Fidel became ill. they are also consistent with his slow approach to change rather than a wholesale turning over at the top levels of the Council.
another signal of how smooth this transition is supposed to be is that José Miyar Barrueco, a long time Fidel aide, will continue on as the Council Secretary.
posted by Yimboro | 2:56 PM
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