“Castro stepping down is a potentially positive development. There should be be no concessions by the US until there are actual positive steps toward freedom by the repressive, communist government of Cuba.” -George Allen

Fidel Castro Resigns As Cuba’s President

By ANITA SNOW
Associated Press Writer
February 19, 2008

HAVANA (AP) — An ailing, 81-year-old Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba’s president Tuesday after nearly a half-century in power, saying he will not accept a new term when parliament meets Sunday.

The end of Castro’s rule - the longest in the world for a head of government - frees his 76-year-old brother Raul to implement reforms he has hinted at since taking over as acting president when Fidel Castro fell ill in July 2006. President Bush said he hopes the resignation signals the beginning of a democratic transition.

“My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath,” Castro wrote in a letter published Tuesday in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma. But, he wrote, “it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer.”

CLICK HERE to read the entire article.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 10:45 am and is filed under Freedom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.