Published: 10:58 AM, 17 May 2026
Raúl Castro remains Cuba's power behind the throne
When Raúl Castro, the brother of the late Fidel Castro, resigned in 2021 as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the highest position of power on the island, it marked the end of almost six decades Castro rule, reports CNN.
The mantle was passed to Miguel Diaz-Canel. But for many Cubans, Raúl has continued to exercise what they consider a kind of "power in the shadows," as they claim his presence and influence in the country's politics remain ever-present. During his farewell at the closing of the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in April 2021, the army general warned that, as long as he lived, he would be ready, "with his foot in the stirrup," to defend socialist Cuba.
In the following years, Raúl continued to participate, on occasion, in central events celebrating the triumph of the Cuban revolution. He even received some presidents and political leaders from allied countries at the National Palace.
"The party is just a façade.
Diaz-Canel has no power at all; the power lies with Raúl and the Armed Forces who, besides having the cannons, have the bank accounts," says Sebastián Arcos, director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University.
Before leaving his post as first secretary of the party, Raúl said he was leaving "with the satisfaction of duty fulfilled" and that he had confidence in the country's future.
Today, that future is increasingly uncertain. After the January capture of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro,US President Donald Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba.
Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on other countries that sold crude oil to Cuba, provoking on the island the worst energy crisis in its recent history.
On March 13, President Diaz-Canel confirmed at a press conference that the talks held with the United States government to seek a solution to the embargo imposed on the island had been led by Raúl and himself.
But this week, it emerged that US Justice Department is working to secure criminal charges against Raul, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
While the scope of the investigation is unclear, federal prosecutors have examined a number of possible charges, including some related to the Cuban military's 1996 downing of two planes belonging to the Cuban-American exile organization Brothers to the Rescue.
