The Castro regime has been in power for 65 years, turning Cuba into an open-air prison.
Internal AffairsNorth America
- Error detected
- The stated duration of 65 years underestimates the actual duration of the Castro regime: the Cuban Revolution succeeded on 1 January 1959, meaning the regime had been in power for approximately 67 years and 4 months by the session date of 19 May 2026.
- Omissions
- The claim states '65 years' but, as of May 2026, the regime has been in power for approximately 67 years (1959–2026). The figure of 65 years would have been accurate around 2024.
- The MEP uses 'Castro regime' broadly. Fidel Castro ruled from 1959 to 2008; his brother Raúl Castro from 2008 to 2018; and Miguel Díaz-Canel, a Castro loyalist, has been president since 2018, with Raúl Castro remaining influential behind the scenes until at least 2021 (when he resigned as First Secretary of the Communist Party). The regime's continuity under the same political system is widely recognised.
- CNN reported on 16 May 2026 — just three days before the session — that Raúl Castro 'remains Cuba's power behind the throne,' confirming the regime's endurance at the time of the claim.
- Sources
- PrimaryBTI Transformation Index (Bertelsmann Stiftung)BTI 2026 Cuba Country Report: 'Díaz-Canel's government has learned from Raúl Castro's ability to keep the regime afloat: elite cohesion is more important than economic growth.' Confirms the regime's continuity into 2026.
- SecondaryEncyclopaedia BritannicaThe revolution's leader, Fidel Castro, went on to rule Cuba from 1959 to 2008.
- SecondaryCNNRaúl Castro remains Cuba's power behind the throne. Raúl Castro, the brother of the late Fidel Castro, in 2021 resigned as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the highest position within the party, but remains influential. Published 16 May 2026.