Miguel Díaz-Canel

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Díaz-Canel and the second or maternal family name is Bermúdez.
Miguel Díaz-Canel
First Vice President of Cuba
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 February 2013
President Raúl Castro
Preceded by José Ramón Machado Ventura
Personal details
Born 20 April 1960 (age 54)
Villa Clara, Cuba
Political party Communist Party

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (born 20 April 1960) is a Cuban politician[1] who has been First Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba since 2013. He has been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba since 2003, and he served as Minister of Higher Education from 2009 to 2012; he was promoted to the post of Vice President of the Council of Ministers in 2012. A year later, on 24 February 2013, he was elected as First Vice President of the Council of State;[2] as such, he is considered likely to eventually succeed Raúl Castro as President of Cuba.[3] His political views have been described as "hardline".[4]

Early life and education

He graduated from Central University of Las Villas in 1982 as an electronics engineer, at which time he joined the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces until 1985.[1] Beginning in April of that year he taught at his alma mater. In 1987 he completed an international mission in Nicaragua as First Secretary of the "La Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas (UJC)" of Villa Clara.[5]

In 1993 he started work with the Communist Party of Cuba and a year later was elected First Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Villa Clara Province.[1] In 2003 he was elected to the same position in the province of Holguin.[1][6] He was also promoted to the Politburo in 2003.[7]

He was appointed Minister of Higher Education in May 2009, a position which he released on March 22, 2012 when he became Vice President of the Council of Ministers.[1][8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Damien Cave, Raúl Castro Says His Current Term as President of Cuba Will Be His Last, The New York Times, February 24, 2013
  2. ↑ http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2013/02/24/ratificado-raul-como-presidente-del-consejo-de-estado/
  3. ↑ "Who will be next to lead cuba", BBC News, 1 April 2003 (Retrieved 2 April 2013)
  4. ↑ Why Cuba Will Still Be Anti-American After Castro
  5. ↑ http://ebookbrowse.com/miguel-mario-diaz-canel-bermudez-pdf-d371766625
  6. ↑ http://www.cubaheadlines.com/es/2009/05/08/17064/en_sustitucion_de_juan_vela_es_designado_miguel_diaz_canel_ministro_de_educacion_superior.html
  7. ↑ Ryan Villarreal, "Sustaining The System: Cuba's New VP Diaz-Canel Marks Ascent Of Younger Generation", International Business Times, 26 February 2013.
  8. ↑ http://www.granma.cubasi.cu/2012/03/22/nacional/artic03.html

External links

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Political offices
Preceded by
José Ramón Machado Ventura		 First Vice President of Cuba
2013–present 		Incumbent