Raul Castro Appears in Havana for Fidel Castro's 100th Birthday as Cuba Faces 5-Year Crisis
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 13
Raul Castro Appears in Havana for Fidel Castro's 100th Birthday as Cuba Faces 5-Year Crisis
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 13
Summary
Raul Castro made a rare public appearance in Havana on Thursday, drawing a standing ovation at an event marking Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday.
The centenary was commemorated with a book fair, art exhibitions, concerts and gatherings of left-wing delegates from across Latin America.
The celebrations came as Cuba confronts a deepening five-year economic crisis, worsened by a failed domestic financial overhaul and long-standing US sanctions.
Pressure intensified after the Trump administration imposed a fuel blockade in January and followed with additional sanctions aimed at forcing political and economic change.
Raul, who succeeded Fidel in 2008 and stepped down as president in 2018, is still widely seen as influential; a Florida court indicted him in May on four murder counts.