Raúl Castro
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- For the Governor of Arizona, see Raul Hector Castro.
Raúl Castro Ruz (born June 3, 1931) is the second ranking member of the Cuban Council of State. The youngest brother of Cuban president Fidel Castro, he has been appointed to the positions: Vice President of the Minister Council, First Vice President of the Council of State, Vice-Secretary of the Politburo and the Central Committe of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC), and Maximum General of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force), second to the Commander in Chief, Fidel Castro. According to the Cuban Constition Article 94, the First Vice President of the Council of State, a position presently held by Raúl Castro, is first in line of succession upon the illness or death of the president.
He has been the Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba since 1965 and First Vice-president of the Councils of State and Ministers, and Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, since 1959.
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Pre-1959
He participated actively in sometimes violent student political actions even before Fulgencio Batista's dictatorship. He was a member of the group which attacked the Moncada Barracks and spent 22 months in prison as a result of this action. During his exile in Mexico, he participated in the preparations of the expedition of the ship Granma, disembarking in Cuba on December 2, 1956. As combatant of the Rebel Army he took part in the campaign of the Sierra Maestra mountain range and in February 27 1958 was made comandante and assigned the mission to cross the old province of Oriente leading a column of guerrillas to open, to the northeast of that territory, the Eastern front "Frank País".
Post-1959
Image:Raul.JPG Raúl Castro Ruz integrated the National Direction of the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations and the United Party of the Socialist Revolution of Cuba. He is the Second Secretary of the Party's Central Committee since its constitution in October 1965 and Second Committee to the National Assembly of the Popular Power from its creation in 1976.
He has been appointed the Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba since 1965 and First Vice-president of the Councils of State and Ministers, Minister and Maximum General of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, since 1959.
Ideology
Some have cited Raúl Castro as being more hardline than his brother — apparently, along with Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, he was one of only two overt communists involved in the original Granma expedition, Universo Sánchez and some others are believed to have been part of the covert wing of the Cuban Communist Party (Partido Socialista Popular). Former KGB official Mitriokhin has stated he was recruited by KGB officer Aleksei Leonov his trip to Moscow in 1955. (See the Mitriokhin Papers).
Role in Post-Fidel Cuba
Some people believe that the line of succession to the Cuban Presidency is not publicly known, it is widely assumed that upon the death of Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro will assume the presidency.
Other people believe that 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." provides that Raúl Castro, the sitting first vice president, is next in line of succession.
Supporters of this theory note that, under the Constitution of Cuba, Raúl, as the 1st Vice President, is currently the government's second-in-command.
Detractors from this theory note that Raúl is himself old and that should he outlive Fidel, his time as President would be brief. Detractors also note the presence of several younger persons in the government capable of assuming the presidency.de:Raúl Castro es:Raúl Castro eo:Raúl Castro fa:رائول کاسترو fr:Raul Castro it:Raúl Castro nl:Raúl Castro ja:ラウル・カストロ no:Raúl Castro pl:Raúl Castro fi:Raúl Castro sv:Raúl Castro