They may not have to wait much longer. Castro’s step and mind are faltering, and there are rumors he recently suffered an undisclosed stroke. After Carter’s speech, the two men went to an exhibition game at a local ballpark. Carter, 77, took the mound and threw the first pitch. Then his host, two years younger and once (legend has it) scouted by the Washington Senators, got his turn. He had to stand within spitting distance of home plate to hit the catcher’s mitt.
It is no longer taboo in Cuba to speak of life after Castro. For most Cubans, it’s hard to imagine; they weren’t even born when Castro took power 43 years ago. Officially, at least, he made the subject moot in 1997 when he named his younger brother to succeed him. As the longtime head of Cuba’s armed forces and the highest-ranking party official after Fidel, the dour and utterly uncharismatic Raul Castro is unlikely to face any internal opposition for the job. But the transition may not be as simple as the brothers would like. Cuba watchers suggest three main scenarios:
