<p class="title">Cuba marked the end of an era Thursday as Miguel Diaz-Canel was formally elected as the country's new president, succeeding Raul Castro and becoming the first non-Castro to lead the island in six decades.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The silver-haired Diaz-Canel -- a top Communist Party figure who has served as first vice president since 2013 -- is the island's first leader born after the 1959 revolution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Diaz-Canel was elected in a landmark vote of the National Assembly a day before his 58th birthday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The chamber erupted into applause as the results were read out, with many of the delegates smiling, and shaking hands warmly with Castro and Diaz-Canel.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As Diaz-Canel walked to the front of the chamber, he high-fived the front line of delegates, embracing Castro as he took to the stage, images broadcast on state television showed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Then the 86-year-old Castro raised his successor's arm in the air in victory, prompting another wave of applause from the delegates -- some were in their shirt sleeves, while others wore military fatigues.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Between them, father of the nation Fidel and his younger brother Raul made the Caribbean island a key player in the Cold War and helped keep communism afloat despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raul has been in power since 2006 when he took over after illness sidelined Fidel, who seized power in the revolution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Diaz-Canel, who has spent years climbing the party ranks, was named the sole candidate for the presidency on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Thursday's symbolic vote took place on the anniversary of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion when Fidel's forces defeated 1,400 US-backed rebels seeking to overthrow him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Havana has long hailed the showdown as American imperialism's first great defeat in Latin America. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Diaz-Canel, who some say bears a passing resemblance to American actor Richard Gere, is a fan of The Beatles whose penchant for wearing jeans has set him apart in Havana's corridors of power.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Although he has advocated fewer restrictions on the press and a greater openness to the internet, he also has a ruthless streak, with harsh words for Cuba's dissidents and the United States.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Crucially, he will remain under the watchful eye of Castro, who will continue to serve as the head of Cuba's all-powerful Communist Party.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Once sworn in, Diaz-Canel will be tasked with pursuing reforms begun by Castro to open up Cuba's economy to small private entrepreneurs and reach a rapprochement with its Cold War arch-enemy, the United States.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In 2015, Havana and Washington renewed diplomatic ties, with then President Barack Obama making a historic visit to the island a year later.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But, steps towards a normalization of ties have been severely curtailed since Donald Trump arrived in the White House last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Diaz-Canel will also inherit a youthful population hungry for change on the Caribbean island -- one of the world's last outposts of Communism since the collapse of the Soviet Union.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cuba watchers and domestic analysts say he will favor continuity over the change in the early days of his presidency, however.</p>
<p class="title">Cuba marked the end of an era Thursday as Miguel Diaz-Canel was formally elected as the country's new president, succeeding Raul Castro and becoming the first non-Castro to lead the island in six decades.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The silver-haired Diaz-Canel -- a top Communist Party figure who has served as first vice president since 2013 -- is the island's first leader born after the 1959 revolution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Diaz-Canel was elected in a landmark vote of the National Assembly a day before his 58th birthday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The chamber erupted into applause as the results were read out, with many of the delegates smiling, and shaking hands warmly with Castro and Diaz-Canel.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As Diaz-Canel walked to the front of the chamber, he high-fived the front line of delegates, embracing Castro as he took to the stage, images broadcast on state television showed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Then the 86-year-old Castro raised his successor's arm in the air in victory, prompting another wave of applause from the delegates -- some were in their shirt sleeves, while others wore military fatigues.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Between them, father of the nation Fidel and his younger brother Raul made the Caribbean island a key player in the Cold War and helped keep communism afloat despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raul has been in power since 2006 when he took over after illness sidelined Fidel, who seized power in the revolution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Diaz-Canel, who has spent years climbing the party ranks, was named the sole candidate for the presidency on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Thursday's symbolic vote took place on the anniversary of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion when Fidel's forces defeated 1,400 US-backed rebels seeking to overthrow him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Havana has long hailed the showdown as American imperialism's first great defeat in Latin America. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Diaz-Canel, who some say bears a passing resemblance to American actor Richard Gere, is a fan of The Beatles whose penchant for wearing jeans has set him apart in Havana's corridors of power.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Although he has advocated fewer restrictions on the press and a greater openness to the internet, he also has a ruthless streak, with harsh words for Cuba's dissidents and the United States.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Crucially, he will remain under the watchful eye of Castro, who will continue to serve as the head of Cuba's all-powerful Communist Party.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Once sworn in, Diaz-Canel will be tasked with pursuing reforms begun by Castro to open up Cuba's economy to small private entrepreneurs and reach a rapprochement with its Cold War arch-enemy, the United States.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In 2015, Havana and Washington renewed diplomatic ties, with then President Barack Obama making a historic visit to the island a year later.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But, steps towards a normalization of ties have been severely curtailed since Donald Trump arrived in the White House last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Diaz-Canel will also inherit a youthful population hungry for change on the Caribbean island -- one of the world's last outposts of Communism since the collapse of the Soviet Union.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cuba watchers and domestic analysts say he will favor continuity over the change in the early days of his presidency, however.</p>