Raul Castro steps down from top Cuban Communist party post

Raul Castro decided to step down as first secretary of Cuba’s Communist Party, TASS reported citing the party’s official Granma newspaper.

"The army general said he was satisfied to hand over the leadership to a group of well-prepared leaders, with decades of experience <...> and firm commitment to the Revolution," the paper said.

"As long as I’m alive, I will be ready to defend the Motherland, the Revolution and socialism," the Cuban news agency quoted Castro as saying.