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Miguel Díaz-Canel

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Article Genealogy
Parent: Cuba Hop 3
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Miguel Díaz-Canel
NameMiguel Díaz-Canel
CaptionDíaz-Canel in 2019
OfficeFirst Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
Term start19 April 2021
PredecessorRaúl Castro
Office2President of Cuba
Term start210 October 2019
Predecessor2Raúl Castro
Office3President of the Council of State, President of the Council of Ministers
Term start319 April 2018
Term end310 October 2019
Predecessor3Raúl Castro
Successor3Himself (as President), Manuel Marrero Cruz (as Prime Minister)
Birth date20 April 1960
Birth placePlacetas, Villa Clara Province, Cuba
PartyCommunist Party of Cuba
SpouseLis Cuesta Peraza
Alma materCentral University of Las Villas

Miguel Díaz-Canel is a Cuban politician and engineer who has served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba since 2021 and as the President of Cuba since 2019. He succeeded Raúl Castro in both roles, marking the first time a person born after the Cuban Revolution has led the country. His presidency has been defined by navigating a severe economic crisis, implementing cautious market-oriented reforms, and maintaining the socialist system under the ongoing United States embargo against Cuba.

Early life and education

Born in Placetas, Villa Clara Province, he grew up in a family with ties to the Revolutionary Armed Forces. He studied electrical engineering at the Central University of Las Villas, graduating in 1982, and subsequently served in the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces as a military officer. During his university years, he became involved with the Union of Young Communists and held leadership positions within the organization in Villa Clara Province.

Early political career

His political ascent began in the Communist Party of Cuba apparatus in Villa Clara Province, where he rose to become the party's First Secretary in the province. He later served in the same role in Holguín Province, earning a reputation as a pragmatic and accessible official. In 2003, he was appointed to the national government as Minister of Higher Education under President Fidel Castro. He joined the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba in 2003 and became a Vice President of the Council of Ministers in 2013, working closely with Raúl Castro.

Presidency

He was first appointed President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers in April 2018, following the retirement of Raúl Castro. Under the new 2019 Constitution, the roles were separated, and he was elected President of the Republic by the National Assembly of People's Power in October 2019. His formal consolidation of power was completed in April 2021 when he was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba during the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, succeeding Castro as the most powerful figure in the country.

Domestic policy

His administration has confronted a profound economic crisis exacerbated by the U.S. embargo, the COVID-19 pandemic, and inefficiencies in the state-run economy. Key policies include the implementation of the "Tarea Ordenamiento" (Ordering Task), a controversial monetary reform that unified the CUP and CUC currencies. He has cautiously expanded the non-state sector, legalizing micro, small, and medium-sized private enterprises (MSMEs) and allowing greater use of foreign investment in sectors like renewable energy. His government has also faced significant social unrest, notably during the July 2021 protests.

Foreign policy

He has maintained Cuba's traditional alliances with partners such as Russia, the People's Republic of China, Venezuela, and Vietnam, while seeking to diversify economic ties. Relations with the United States deteriorated significantly during the Trump administration and remained strained under Joe Biden, particularly following Cuba's inclusion on the U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. He has been an active participant in international forums like the Summit of the Americas and the Group of 77, advocating against the embargo and for a multipolar world order.

Personal life

He is married to Lis Cuesta Peraza, a professor and cultural promoter. He has two children from a previous marriage. Known for a more informal public style than his predecessors, he is an avid fan of Beatles music and rock and roll, and is often seen riding a bicycle or a Chinese-made motorcycle. He maintains a public image as a technocrat dedicated to modernizing Cuba's socialist model while upholding the legacy of Fidel Castro and the Communist Party of Cuba.

Category:1960 births Category:Presidents of Cuba Category:First Secretaries of the Communist Party of Cuba Category:Living people