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Raul Castro has run Cuba ever since his brother Fidel fell ill in the summer of 2006, so Fidel's announcement today that he is stepping down after nearly 50 years in power is largely symbolic. That said, Fidel continued to pull political strings from his sickbed, and his statement today suggests that he still intends to voice his opinions on matters of state.

FP has long been host to debates on Castro's legacy and what a post-Fidel Cuba might look like. With Raul at the helm, today will look much like yesterday. But Raul is also 76 years old. The machine is surely in motion to find ideological heirs to the Castro brothers.

Don't miss:

Was Fidel Good for Cuba? Ignacio Ramonet of Le Monde Diplomatique squares off against columnist Carlos Alberto Montaner over Castro's true legacy.

The Day After: Cuba What happens when Castro falls? (Also in this special package: the day after Kim Jong Il, Mugabe, and Qaddafi.)

Seven Questions for Brian Latell The former CIA analyst and author on what life in Cuba is like under the younger Castro brother.

Seven Questions for Carlos Saladrigas The businessman and outspoken Castro critic discusses Fidel's decline and his homeland's future.

What America Must Do: End the Embargo Nobel Prize winner Nadine Gordimer's advice to the next American president.