During the VI National Conference of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution, General Raúl Castro let out one of his usual shouts in a feigned manly voice, exclaiming: “I’m still young! Does anyone have any doubts?”.
With one foot on the imaginary stirrup of his supporters, the nonagenarian dictator fires his last and futile shots to reach the promised paradise of Castroism: achieving the perpetuity of the regime through the deification of the so-called "revolution" and its leaders.
At nearly 94 years old, the once youthful rebel with a falsetto voice and overshadowed by his brother, reaffirmed this Monday his intention to remain a central figure in power in Cuba, despite having appointed Miguel Díaz-Canel as the ruler. Or perhaps because of it.
The senile assertion of his youth, conveyed by the National Television News (NTV), highlights his desperation to maintain the role of de facto leader of the Cuban regime, and the “continuity” of it for the benefit of the families that make up the mafia-like and violent power structure that has captured the State for over 60 years.
After seizing the nation, its wealth, stripping Cubans of their rights and freedoms, subjecting them to the dictates of communist ideology, and destroying the individual and civil society, the one who inherited power from a decrepit Fidel Castro intends to bequeath to his heirs a "crony capitalism" that consolidates his oligarchic and privileged position in a post-communist Cuba rife with poverty, inequality, and despair.
From second-in-command to successor of Fidel Castro
Raúl Castro always operated in the shadow of his brother, but his rise to power was a natural consequence of the dynamics of the Cuban regime. In 2006, he temporarily took over the country's leadership following the illness of the "commander," and in 2008 he was formally appointed president of the Council of State and Ministers.
Since then, he presented himself as a reformist, but his measures were insufficient to resolve the severe economic crisis in the country. His main "achievement" during the decade he governed was the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States under the administration of Barack Obama.
For the history of cowardice and infamy, there remains the image of the dictator raising Obama's limp arm, like prey taken in a geopolitical hunt, cawing intimidatingly before the foreign press that inquired about political prisoners.
Then came the "whispers" from his son, the Intelligence Colonel Alejandro Castro Espín, to the ears of the officials at the U.S. Embassy in Havana; and Donald Trump arrived, putting an end to the "party" that had made the elderly general so anxious, only at ease with his grandson Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, alias "The Crab," watching his back, and the father of this one, the late Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, safeguarding his assets in the coffers of the Business Administration Group S.A. (GAESA).
The evidence revealed the terror that the rapprochement with Washington produced in the now elderly leader, prompting him to slow down his supposed reform program, intensify repression against opponents and independent journalists, and seek the shelter of more powerful "big brothers" like China and Russia once again.
Unfulfilled promises and the glass of milk that never arrived
One of the most remembered episodes of his mandate was the promise to ensure a "glass of milk for all Cubans", announced in 2007.
This statement, which aimed to symbolize an improvement in the quality of life of the population, was never fulfilled. In fact, the scarcity of food and basic products has been a constant during his administration and that of his successor.
The economic reality of the island has continued to deteriorate, with an inefficient production system, dependence on remittances from abroad, and the crises affecting its main allies, Venezuela and Russia, now embroiled in a war whose outcome is anyone's guess, especially from the perspective of the Cuban regime.
The appointment of Díaz-Canel and the shadow control
In 2018, Raúl handed over the presidency to Díaz-Canel, in what was a controlled transfer of power supervised by the so-called "old revolutionary guard."
While the appointed ruler attempted to project an image of renewal, their actions have focused even more on favoring the oligarchy of those who "love love and hate hate," waving the old banners and slogans of Castroism without Fidel.
Raúl held the leadership of the Communist Party until 2021, when he formally stepped down and handed over the baton (though not the command) to the leader of the “continuity.”
He was appointed as the first secretary of the body, earned a doctorate, awarded a doctorate to his wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza, named her son Manuel Anido Cuesta as his personal advisor, and three La Colmenita shows later, he became the father-in-law of the star Ana de Armas, perhaps the only "success" he can showcase in his role.
Castro's strategy has been clear: to ensure that power remains in the hands of the usual elites, distributing crumbs among second-tier loyalists and third-tier minions. This is how he intends to secure the legacy of the "revolution" beyond his existence.
In this context, his recent statements at the fighters' conference aim to reinforce his already precarious role as a guarantor of the regime's stability.
A political "youth" that seeks the perpetuity of Castroism
The phrase "I am still young" is not only a challenge to the inexorable passage of time but also sends a clear message to those who might think that his era has ended. Raúl Castro remains the decisive factor in the country's decision-making, and his presence at key events of the regime is a demonstration of the fetishism of his heirs.
Throughout his career, he has shown that he knows how to adapt to those setbacks that rhetoric turns into "victories" (a special talent of dictators), but without conceding an inch on what is essential: absolute control of power. His message this Monday is a reaffirmation that Castrism has no intention of disappearing and that the dynamics of power in Cuba has remained the same for decades.
However, the current context is different: the economic crisis has worsened, emigration has reached historic levels, and social discontent has manifested in unprecedented protests. Although Raúl proclaims the fallacy of his "youth," the reality indicates that the system he represents faces a crisis of legitimacy and sustainability.
The legacy of a leader who does not retire
Raúl Castro's appearance at the veterans' conference and his defiant message are a testament to how Castroism remains clung to power. His "youth" is pure survival instinct and responds to the need to keep alive the regime he built alongside his brother.
In a country plunged into the crisis he himself announced, with a people weary of unmet promises and a young generation seeking opportunities outside the island, the question many are asking is not whether Raúl remains young, but whether his political model has a future.
For now, the regime's response remains the same as always: continuity and absolute control, with no room for democratic transition. As for Raúl's longevity, the British portal Deathlist.net does not include him in its 2025 list. Could it be that they consider him eternal, or that he is no longer famous and is just a political corpse of the regime he helped found?
"Did those over there hear? And those over there? Well, things are looking good," Raúl asked and declared before leaving his veteran colleagues in the audience this Monday. With shouts and applause, they affirmed that yes, they had heard his words. Did those from the beyond hear them too?
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