Miguel Díaz-Canel has been sworn in as Cuba’s new president, replacing Raúl Castro who took over from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006.
It is the first time since the revolution in 1959 that a Castro is not at the helm of the government.
Mr Díaz-Canel had been serving as first vice-president for the past five years.
Even though Mr Díaz-Canel was born after the revolution, he is a staunch ally of Raúl Castro and is not expected to make any radical changes.
He was elected by the members of the National Assembly, all 605 of whom were voted in in March after standing unopposed.
Mr Castro is expected to continue wielding considerable political influence in his role as the leader of Cuba’s ruling Communist Party.
In his inaugural speech, Mr Díaz-Canel said that his mandate was “to ensure the continuity of the Cuban revolution at a key historic moment”.
He said that Cuba’s foreign policy would remain “unaltered” and that any “necessary changes” would be decided by the Cuban people.
He also said that there was “no room in Cuba for those who strive for the restoration of capitalism”.
Source: BBC
