As US pressure grows for leadership change in Cuba, a Castro could be the next president

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — With U.S. President Donald Trump advocating for a change in Cuba’s leadership, the conversation around who could potentially succeed Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is gaining momentum.

As the handpicked successor of Raúl Castro in 2018, Díaz-Canel has been the first leader without the Castro surname to govern since the 1959 revolution. While he still has two years remaining in his term, doubts are emerging among experts and the Cuban population about his ability to stay in power.

Two potential replacements from the Castro family have emerged as frontrunners, according to experts.

Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, Raúl Castro’s 55-year-old great-nephew, has risen to prominence in recent years. He assumed the role of Minister of Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment in May 2024 and was later appointed as the island’s Deputy Prime Minister in October.

On the other hand, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, Raúl Castro’s grandson, has not held any government positions but has previously served as his grandfather’s bodyguard and later as the head of Cuba’s equivalent of the U.S. Secret Service. He has recently come into the public eye as a high-ranking government official.

Despite the speculation surrounding potential successors with the Castro lineage, experts argue that little change is expected even if someone from the Castro family assumes the presidency.

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