Cuban President Fidel Castro Resigns, Bush Optimistic

Havana, Cuba, February 19, 2008 - Fidel Castro announced that he is resigning his position as President of Cuba, due to illness, according to various news reports. Castro announced his resignation in a letter published in Granma, the state-run newspaper, according to CNN International.

"I will not aspire nor accept - I repeat I will not aspire or accept - the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief," the letter read.
Fidel Castro, 81, has been the President of Cuba for the past 50 years (Bloomberg.com).

President Bush is Optimistic

President Bush is seeing Fidel Castro's resignation optimistically.

"I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition," said Bush in a White House statement released on February 19, 2008.

Currently President Bush is in Kigali, Rwanda. He was asked questions about Fidel Castro's resignation in a session with the press.

President Bush went on to say that with Fidel Castro's resignation the international community should help the Cuban people.

"The international community should work with the Cuban people to begin to build institutions that are necessary for democracy," President Bush said. (Whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/02/20080219-6.html)

President Bush also believes that the United States should help Cuba, now that Fidel Castro has announced his resignation from the presidency.

"And we're going to help -- the United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty. And so those are my initial thoughts," President Bush said.

Cuban Presidential Election

The news of Castro's resignation comes only days before the Presidential election in Cuba. According to various reports, Castro's brother will be taking over.

Fidel Castro's brother, Raul, 76, is currently the Cuban Defense Minister.

President Bush also had his opinion the Cuban electoral process.

"This transition ought to lead to free and fair elections -- and I mean free and I mean fair, not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as being true democracy," President Bush said (Whitehouse.gov)