美国有线新闻 CNN 古巴将确定新一任领导人 告别卡斯特罗时代（在线收听）

First story we're explaining today takes us to an island nation famously said to be 90 miles away from Key West, Florida, but which has a very different system of government than the U.S.

Cuba is a communist state. Its leadership has strict control over the media, the Internet. The communist party is the only legal party on the island. And Cuba's new leader wasn't elected by the people but rather Cuba's legislative branch, its national assembly, which almost always votes unanimously for whatever the president proposes.

With that president, Raul Castro, planning to retire mo?re or less, that national assembly has just named Miguel Diaz-Canel its new president. This is the first time in almost six decades that Cuba won't be led by a man named Castro. In fact, when former President Fidel Castro led Cuba's communist revolution in 1959, Diaz-Canel hadn't been born yet.

The 57-year-old first vice president is the unopposed candidate to replace Cuba's current leader. And Diaz-Canel is expected to keep the status quo in Cuba, closely following the leadership of the Castro presidents, while Raul Castro will keep a powerful leadership position and have the final say on important decisions.

People expect things will stay the same under likely President Diaz-Canel. The communist government's supporters in the island say it will continue on its course, even without the Castros. Opponents will likely have to wait longer to see any significant change.