Raul Castro to Step Down as Cuban President The 86-year-old Castro has held the office since his brother Fidel’s resignation in 2008. For the first time in nearly six decades, a Castro may not be the leader of Cuba. Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, whom Castro has reportedly been grooming as a replacement, If elected, Diaz-Canal will immediately be forced to deal with the country’s economic struggles and make key decisions on social reforms. Yassel Padron Kunakbaeva, a Marxist blogger, to The Associated Press A successor will be named following a two-day session by member of Cuba’s National Assembly.