Raul Castro: The Cuban Revolution continues

One thing that can certainly be said about Fidel Castro is that he is an incredibly hard act to follow in political terms.

He managed after all to survive the attempts of 10 consecutive US administrations to undermine his Communist revolution - not to mention the now legendary countless attempts against his life allegedly orchestrated by the CIA.

But that enmity with the US and his socialist ideals also helped to turn him into a regional and global icon of the oppressed.

Raul Castro has been there with him all along but he lacks his brother's charismatic appeal and is far more of a pragmatist than an idealist.

That could serve him well in his new role as Head of State and government of a country that teetered on the edge of economic collapse following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.

Cuba managed to survive thanks in large part to a series of incremental economic changes he helped implement that brought the island back from the brink.

And, in fact, the need to improve the Cuban economy and work on making the country and its ruling Communist Party more efficient were all prominent themes in the speech he made after being selected as president by the National Assembly.

Raul Castro said people had to think more locally and not always look to Havana and the Central Government for solutions.

He also spoke of the need to deal with the issue of Cuba's dual currency system, which many Cubans feel favours foreigners and the elite at the expense of workers. And, as he has on several occasions recently, Raul Castro did what had in the past been considered unthinkable - he questioned the successes of the revolution.

He said it was important to take stock and be prepared to focus not only on the Communist Government's successes, but also at areas where things had not gone well and improve them.

That pragmatism could be the tonic Cuba needs after more than 49 years of unbridled idealism.

But the unexpected decision to forego naming a younger member of the party in favour of choosing the 77-year-old ideologue, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, as his first vice-president, makes it clear the changes he plans do not involve doing away with Cuba's socialist ideals or communist political model.

The US government appeared less than impressed with the political change in Cuba, calling it more of the same and no reason to lift Washington's decades-long economic embargo on the island.

But the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Democratic Senator Joe Biden, said travel restrictions should be lifted and that a mail service should be re-established with the island.

Raul, 76, had already been running the country since the ailing Fidel handed over power - at the time "temporarily" - in 2006 following intestinal surgery.

He had thus far seemed content to live in his brother's shadow, perceived by many to lack the charisma and verve of Fidel.

Indeed, commentators seem unsure whether Raul should be viewed as more ruthless and authoritarian than Fidel or a shrewd politician who will adopt a more pragmatic approach as Cuba enters a new era.

He has served as commander of the Cuban army and some analysts argue that this complex role has well equipped Raul to the task of leading Cuba.

But others say his political skills lack the finesse and cunning that have enabled his brother to hold power for so long.

Born on June 3 in 1931 to a Cuban mother and Spanish father, Raul was to share many formative experiences with his brother - beginning with their expulsion from school at a young age.

Politically active in his youth, he studied social sciences at college and joined the Socialist Youth, an affiliate of the Soviet-oriented Cuban communist party, the Partido Socialista Popular (PSP).

In March 1952, former president Fulgencio Batista overthrew the Government in a coup and Fidel formed an underground movement aimed at toppling his Government. Both Raul and Fidel took part in the assault on Cuba's Moncada military barracks in 1953 - an attempt to oust the authoritarian Batista Government.

However the assault failed and Raul was sent to prison alongside his brother, serving 22 months behind bars.

On release, the pair went to Mexico to prepare the landing of the boat "Granma", loaded with fighters opposed to the Batista Government, on December 2, 1956 in Cuba. Raul is widely believed to have first met and befriended Che Guevara, the famous revolutionary figure, in Mexico and introduced him to Fidel.

Guevara in turn joined Castro's 26th July Movement - named after the date of the Moncada barracks attack - in its battle against Batista.

When the Batista Government fell in January 1959, Raul Castro became second-in-command and head of the country's Armed Forces.

One of his first roles was reportedly to oversee the executions of soldiers loyal to Batista.

Shortly after the revolution, Raul married Vilma Espin, another revolutionary fighter with whom he remained until her death in June 2007.

They had four children.

Raul Castro has since shaped Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) into a complex institution, primarily as a bulwark against any potential US invasion.

As military commander, Raul was forced to adjust to considerable challenges after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba's main financial backer.

He ordered the Cuban military to form several businesses including a tourism corporation that runs a domestic airline, hotels, retail outlets and marinas. He also has played an important role in setting domestic and budgetary policies.

Now, while analysts debate which role Raul is likely to take in Cuba's future, it seems the brother who for so long was content to work behind the scenes has been pushed to the forefront.

BBC News, MWC