Raul Castro
This article is about the current Cuban leader. For the former Governor of Arizona and United States Ambassador, see Raúl Héctor Castro. For the Bolivian footballer, see Raúl Castro (footballer). This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Castro and the second or maternal family name is Ruz. Raúl Castro 18th President of Cuba Incumbent Assumed office 31 July 2006 Acting: 31 July 2006 – 24 February 2008 Vice President José Ramón Machado Miguel Díaz-Canel Preceded by Fidel Castro First Secretary of the Communist Party Incumbent Assumed office 31 July 2006 Acting: 31 July 2006 – 19 April 2011 Deputy José Ramón Machado Preceded by Fidel Castro First Vice President of Cuba In office 2 December 1976 – 24 February 2008 President Fidel Castro Preceded by Position established Succeeded by José Ramón Machado Second Secretary of the Communist Party In office 3 October 1965 – 19 April 2011 Leader Fidel Castro Preceded by Position established Succeeded by José Ramón Machado Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement In office 31 July 2006 – 16 July 2009 Acting: 31 July 2006 – 24 February 2008 Preceded by Fidel Castro Succeeded by Hosni Mubarak Personal details Born Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (1931-06-03) 3 June 1931 (age 83) Birán, Cuba Political party Popular Socialist Party (Before 1953) 26th of July Movement (1953–1965) Communist Party (1965–present) Spouse(s) Vilma Espín (1959–2007) Children Deborah Mariela Nilsa Alejandro Awards Hero of the Republic of Cuba Order of Yaroslav Mudry First Grade National Order of Mali Quetzal Medal Order Prince Daniel of Good Faith First Degree Military service Allegiance  Cuba Service/branch Revolutionary Armed Forces Years of service 1953–1959 Rank Comandante Unit 26th of July Movement Battles/wars Cuban Revolution Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (American Spanish: [raˈul moˈðesto ˈkastɾo ˈrus]; born 3 June 1931), commonly known as Raúl Castro, is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008. He is Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and has also been First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) since 2011, and is the nation's highest ranking general. Raúl Castro was a rebel commander during the 1950s; after his brother Fidel Castro, took power, Raúl Castro was one of the most important figures in the party, serving as Minister of the Armed Forces from 1959 to 2008, the longest to serve in such a position. On 31 July 2006, Raúl Castro was designated as the President of the Council of State in a temporary transfer of power due to Fidel Castro's illness. According to the Cuban Constitution of 1976, Article 94, the First Vice President of the Council of State assumes presidential duties upon the illness or death of the president. Raúl Castro was officially elected as President by the National Assembly on 24 February 2008, after Fidel Castro, who was still ailing, announced his intention not to stand for President again on 19 February 2008. Raúl Castro was elected as First Secretary of the Communist Party at its Sixth Congress on 19 April 2011, having previously served as Second Secretary under his brother for 46 years. He was re-elected President on 24 February 2013, shortly thereafter he announced that his second term would be his final term and that he would not seek re-election in 2018.